Nutrition - it's good for you!

I feel it's my responsiblity as a personal trainer to be sure that my clients are being educated in health and nutrition as well as general physical fitness. Below are a few of my favorite online sites for wisdom on all things health/nutrition. Some of these links you have to sign up to join, but I guarantee they're well worth it! You'd be surprised at the kind of stuff our government is allowing into our food supply these days and knowing how to shop is essential to living.

Without further pause....

General Health Advice:

Dr. Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites

Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Catalyst Nutrition: http://catalyst-nutrition.blogspot.com/

Nutrition/Recipes/Etc:

Everyday Paleo: http://everydaypaleo.com/

Saving Thyme: http://savingthymecooking.blogspot.com/


Okay, now that you know some of my favorite sources of wisdom when it comes to health and wellness, let's have a chat. I typically err on the side of living my life and not being all hysterical about all things eating. Here's my mantra, if you will: 80% of the time eat well (I'll explain more later) and 20% of the time live a little.

Here's what I mean when I say eat well. I lean towards the Paleo lifestyle (no, it's not a diet for a season -it's a lifestyle change!). That means I limit grains, sugar, and dairy to a VERY minimal amount, if any. I've learned substitutions for most of these things, but that's for another post. So 80% of my life consists of me being strict "Paleo". Lots of fruits, veggies, whole protein sources, oils, and nuts for me!

Now the other 20% of my life is allowing myself the "treat". This doesn't mean I get a "treat" everyday. It doesn't even mean I get a 'treat" every other day. I typically let myself have a treat if I'm REALLY craving something or on the weekends. For me it's typically the Mint Chip Ice Cream, the chocolate cake, or the Balboa Sundae from The Cannery (YUM!!!!). However, on any given day, and especially during that time of the month, I have a tendency to have my fair share of chocolate each night. :-)

However, I caution you to keep eye of how much of these treats you're eating. If you're sitting down to a bowl of ice cream that turns into an entire half gallon carton being gone, we're going to need to reign in the temptation a little. I would even suggest cutting out completely those "trigger" foods that you keep eating and can't stop until you have a stomach ache. I know, I know - but mom's cookies are the BEST around. I promise you, there is something out there that can satisfy that treat tooth just as well and also give way to you feeling a LOT better in the process.

Okay... enough on this for now. More to come in a later post. Until then... check out the websites above and try a few of the recipes out. You may find that it's a lot easier than you thought for this to work, even in our busy daily lives! :-)