We all want to be fit and healthy, but it takes determination to really change your lifestyle for the better. And it won’t happen overnight. So for those of us who are struggling to stick with our New Year’s resolutions, here are some of our favorite motivators to stick on your refrigerator or save to your Facebook wall or Pinterest board:
We’ll start with a warning shot across the port bow. Too much sugar can wreck your health and increase your risk of devastating events like heart attacks. The World Health Organizations (WHO) recommends that sugar intake make up “less than 10% of total energy intake per day.” Even better, the WHO would like to recommend that adults reduce their daily sugar intake to only 5% of total daily calories.
Here is a list of fifteen other sugars found in everyday food labels, under names you may not be familiar with.
The good news is that fresh, whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, even though they have sugars, and fructose in the case of fruit, aren’t on the “bad” list.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the most dangerous meal is one that contains too much food. Overeating stimulates the action of a substance in the body that disrupts normal metabolism, makes you vulnerable to insulin resistance and makes you more likely to become diabetic.
But there are two easy ways you may be able to curb your intake of some of those extra calories.
First, don’t look at ads for fatty foods. Simply viewing pictures of high-fat dishes can bring on cravings for similar fare.
The second finding is that you should stop indulging in soft drinks. Drinking bubbly, over-sweetened soda pop not only provides a whopping dose of sugary calories, it also makes your brain scream for more food.
So if you want to eat less, less, less, avoid the food ads and drink plain water to help calm your cravings.
If you value your state of mind, better improve your diet. Eating baked goods like donuts and cakes as well as fast food increases your chances of depression.
Research shows that eating items like cupcakes and hot dogs ups your chances of feel-bad emotions by 51 percent. And the more fast food you eat, the more likely it is you’ll be depressed.
It’s no secret that fast food can doom your health. But researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found some truly frightening physiological developments that accompany those burgers, fries, chicken wings and sweet soft drinks we devour so greedily.
Turns out that those greasy calories and sugary drinks don’t just add inches to your waist, they actually induce your cells to self-destruct in a kind of cellular suicide. Overwhelmed by toxic food, small strands of RNA in the cells’ nuclei that normally build proteins begin creating cellular damage. That damage makes you vulnerable to conditions like diabetes.
This damage can threaten your life, especially when the cells that kill themselves are cells in the heart muscle. Heart failure eventually results.
Yes, buying fresh fruit and vegetables can take a toll on your grocery bill. But you might be surprised at the ways you could save money throughout the year by having a fit, healthy body.
Depression, anxiety and stress can compromise your mental and emotional health. But “comfort foods” are not the answer. So if you often find yourself down in the dumps, trade in the foods you are now eating for the good mood food.
That means saying no to refined foods and saying yes to foods like fruits and vegetables loaded with dietary fiber. The fiber slows your absorption of carbohydrates and leads to a slow change in blood sugar instead of a blood sugar roller coaster ride.
In a nutshell: Avoid dump cake — especially when you’re down in the dumps. Try a delicious baked apple instead. Fuji apples provide ample sweetness. Just core, add a little cinnamon, and bake. Leave the peeling on and enjoy. The only blues you’ll experience are the ones on your iTunes.
While there are thousands of diets out there, for me, eating fresh, whole vegetables and fruit and free-range, chemical-free animal protein is the basis of a healthy diet. Eating enough to feel satisfied, but not stuffed, and a balance of protein and complex carbohydrates to keep blood sugar stable is a good way to go. The rest is up to your individual preference.
Although many so-called “experts” insist that the conventional toxic food sold in supermarkets is safe, if you are in search of better health, the answer to what’s for dinner (and lunch and breakfast) is simple: Eat organic as much as possible if you want to be as healthy as possible.
This makes grocery shopping simple. But for even better heart health, you could try eating like a viking.
Like we said, being fit and healthy isn’t easy. It takes commitment and determination to create a new lifestyle for yourself. Remember: It’s not a quick fix, it’s a permanent change. Good habits are just as addictive as bad habits, but much more rewarding. Good luck!
