Introduction to Nutrition

Nutrition is the final "knock out blow" while exercises is a "jab punch". (Dr. Boyer, UVU)  Be sure to balance a healthy diet with your exercise. When I say healthy, I mean green vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. I have struggled with diet myself. It is really hard to keep up especially when you are in school, or stressed out at work or at home.

I like to start slow and then work to the hard strict diets. First, start by cutting your portions in half (instead of two pizza eighths, try only one eighth). Americans have HUGE proportions in food. The big Mac now seems like a small grilled cheese sandwich, the large is now a small and so on. There have been several studies observing that obesity has gone up with food proportion sizes so BE CAREFUL! You may feel hungry for a while but it takes time for the food to go into your stomach and hit the "full button" (it takes about 15 minutes for food to hit your stomach). Protein is a great way to make you feel full for longer. Have ONE table spoon of peanut butter after a small meal to get rid of those early hunger pains.

I have started my own diet by cutting out things on the top of the food pyramid (going by the old food pyramid) and moving toward the bottom. I have chosen to not drink highly sugared drinks. (by the way, an occasional drink won't kill you but take water whenever you can) I have also eliminated sugared deserts from my meals. Have something green on your plate for EVERY meal. I am eating a banana, orange, or apple when I am feeling hungry instead of sneaking into my candy stash. Once you can control that sweet tooth, than we can start taking big steps into major diets. Baby steps will help you feel not so discouraged when that brownies and ice cream screams your name at a birthday party and you eat three bowls full. They will also reduce the chance you will break that diet that you have worked so hard on.

Go out and do something fun today. The weather is BEAUTIFUL! Go for a walk with your sweet heart, read a book on your lawn, go for a run or a hike. Get some Vitamin D into that wintered skin of yours and feel alive again.