7 healthy tips to achieve optimum nutrition

The key way to lose weight and, more importantly, keep it off is to have a healthy and well balanced diet, through proper eating habits. Here are a couple of nutrition tips that will help you in your road to weight loss success.

1. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water: Proper fluid levels are one of the main foundations for high metabolism. You will burn a lot more calories at rest if your metabolism is high. Recommended fluid level is about 3 liters (96 fl oz) for women, and about 4 liters (128 fl oz) for men.

2. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables: This will provide you with an array of different vitamins and minerals necessary for great nutrition. You should get about 4 servings of fruits and 4-5 servings of veggies. For example, a large fruit is considered 2 servings.

3. Portion your meals: Always keep your meals in small portions, with a source of good carbohydrates, lean meats, and fruits/veggies. (Ex: 4oz. grilled chicken breast, with ½ cup brown rice and 1 cup broccoli). It’s easy to portion food when you follow the serving size, on the food label.

4. Carbohydrates are not your enemies: Carbohydrates are very important for your body! It’s your primary source of energy for your muscles. Your brain, alone, needs about 120 grams/day. Choose the right sources. Sources that contain at least 3 grams of fiber are considered high fiber and very wholesome.

5. Fats can be your friends: The body needs around 20-30% fat daily. Good fats (unsaturated) come from nuts and oils. These fats are very important for a healthy diet and can reduce risk of age related diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna contain omega 3 fats that reduce inflammation and increase recovery from a tough workout.

6. Breakfast of champions: Some of us skip breakfast because “there’s no time”, which can be disastrous on the metabolism. Breakfast doesn’t always mean pancakes and eggs whites. That can be time consuming. Instead, try a blend of yogurt, berries, flax seeds, and some whey protein. It’s quick and will jumpstart your metabolism for long lasting energy, throughout the day. Adding a multivitamin daily is also important. It will give you the vitamins and minerals you need that you may not get from food. However, keep in mind that vitamins do not replace food.

7. More wholesome, less processed: Choose foods with the least processed and refined ingredients in your diet. Wholesome foods are very nutritious and important for healthy living. I always say if a product has too many ingredients, with long names that are hard to pronounce, chances are it’s not good for you.

If you have any questions regarding nutrition or personal training services, feel free to email me at shadi@getfitwithshadi.com.

Blueberries: The Ultimate Super-fruit

Many people consider blueberries to be a super fruit and it’s not because of its size (since it’s about the size of a button), but because of its nutrient density. According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, wild blueberries have the highest level of anti-oxidants out of any fruit and can provide extraordinary benefits.

These anti-oxidants (vitamin C, E, and other phytochemicals) do help reduce the risk of many cancers by neutralizing the by-products of metabolism, called free radicals. Free radicals are the culprits to many cancers, as well as other diseases. However, a big reason to its super fruit status is because of one type of anti-oxidant that is not in all fruits, called anthocyanins. Anthocyanin is what gives the blueberry its color and is primarily located in the skin. This powerful anti-oxidant is linked with reducing the risk of many aging mental diseases and offers anti-inflammatory benefits, thus helping reduce daily mental and physical stress.

Blueberries are also loaded with dietary fiber. One cup of this super fruit contains only 60 calories and over 6 grams of fiber (about 20% of daily need). Fiber is not only a belly-filler, but a cholesterol fighter too. The soluble fiber actually helps prevent some of the absorption of the bad cholesterol, by binding to it and flushing it out of the body.

There are many ways you can incorporate this powerful “brain food” into your diet. You can add it to cereal and yogurt for breakfast or have a small bowl if you have a sweet tooth. You can also use it as part of your post workout shake. My personal favorite shake is a scoop of protein powder with bananas, blueberries, flax seed, some water, and ice. The shake is low in sugar, high in protein and fiber, and the anti-oxidants, from the blueberries, can help reduce the soreness that can result from a tough workout.

First official blog!

Welcome to my blog site! Here, I will be expressing my thoughts regarding any nutrition and fitness related topics. You can also feel free to write me any questions, on either topic, and I will be happy to get back to you. Thanks for following me and I hope you enjoy my future upcoming blogs.