Thursday, May 14, 2015

Spring clean your health (no actual cleaning necessary!):

It’s spring and with the warmer weather comes a feeling of new beginnings and starting fresh. Now is an ideal time to toss out the unhealthy old habits and start living the kind of lifestyle that will leave you revitalized and energized! We've got some essential ways to help you kick your healthy habits up a notch.


1. Eat MORE! (Fruits and vegetables that is!) 
Instead of always focusing on cutting calories, take a different approach and start by adding more fruits and vegetables to your current diet. Besides reaping the amazing health benefits of adding an abundance of nutrients to your diet, it will tend to displace other, less healthy foods from the diet. When you make an effort to eating at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit every day, you’d be surprised how much less room there is in your life for other snacks and junk food.

2. Beware of "hidden" sugars. 
We know that sweetened beverages, baked goods, candy and cereal all contain a ton of added sugar. But there are many hidden sugars added to "healthy" snacks foods, and many other surprising items you might eat every day. You know that yogurt you love for breakfast? The one with the fruit on the bottom? That can contain more than 30 grams of sugar! Some examples of foods with surprising amounts of added sugar include some spaghetti sauces, granola, instant oatmeal, protein bars and many other foods who's manufacturer' claim to fame is "low fat".
Here is a tip: the closer a food is to it's natural form, the less processed sugar it will contain.

3. Make your rest days count with active recovery.
Many people fail to understand that rest/recovery is just as important as working out. Taking an "active rest day" will accelerate your recovery, making you feel faster and stronger when you're back to your regular Body Buster workouts. It will also help you feel less sore and stiff. So, what exactly is Active Rest or Active Recovery? Active recovery focuses on completing a lower intensity workout, but just high enough that it gets the blood moving and helps decrease the left over fatigue in the muscle. Rest days should consist of light cardio with little to no strength training. Some suggestions for your rest day are: Going for a hike, walk or jog, doing some bodyweight exercises such as air squats, light jump-rope or getting outdoors for a bike-ride. 

4. Increase your fiber intake for more energy.
Fibre has a time-release effect on carbohydrates allowing them to enter your bloodstream at a more slow and steady pace, thus maintaining your energy for a longer period of time. Aim to consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day, filling your plate with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as reading labels on your everyday food products and choosing food items with the most fiber.

5. Plan your day ahead.
Invest in a datebook or calendar and plan out the day ahead so that most of your decisions are made for you ahead of time. This can include workouts, meals, goals, rest days and other healthy activities. Some studies have shown that the more decisions we are forced to make in a day, the more we drain our willpower reserves. One of the reasons why so many people are successful with the Body Buster Program is that they have committed to work out on specific days at specific times. It is on the schedule!

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