Make the healthy lifestyle change, eat better and feel better!

  

     About ten years ago I would eat whatever I wanted; my favorite meal consisted of potato chips and brownies. At 14 I wasn’t concerned with eating healthy; when you’re young you have this mindset that you’re invincible. The doctor informing me I had high cholesterol didn’t faze me one bit, it was the day I was trying clothes on at American Eagle and the largest size they offered in stores didn’t fit. I still remember crying in the dressing room, not being able to get the size 16 pants on hit me hard; I knew I needed to make a change.  

     

     Figuring out what to eat was overwhelming, there are thousands of diets to choose from! Through trial and error plus a lot of hard work and sweat I was able to reach my goal weight! It’s been ten years since I made a lifestyle change and I have managed to maintain my goal! I don’t believe in diets, my experience with them was horrible. I was always hungry and because I was always hungry I was constantly angry. Nobody wants to deal with that! I like to refer to eating healthy as a “lifestyle”. 

     The key to being healthy and getting the body you want is to make the right food choices, moderation is important, if you’re craving a brownie then have a piece.  Just don’t eat half the pan! The best place to start living healthier is by cutting out all your sugary beverages, drink water instead. Try to drink at least three liters of water each day; this can boost your metabolism by up to 30%! Check out this article from Shape magazine for more benefits of drinking water! http://bit.ly/1Oooazd

 

     What you use in order to cook your food can make a huge difference.  Personally I use olive oil and coconut oil. When choosing an olive oil it can be confusing since there are several different types, for a breakdown on each olive oil check out this link: http://bit.ly/1htlFx4. Now for my favorite oil, coconut oil! This stuff truly is amazing; using it for cooking can really help add flavor, not to mention the health benefits of consuming it. For a complete list of health benefits and the scientific breakdown of coconut oil, check out this link: http://bit.ly/1Lqb9yc.

     

     Here is an awesome recipe for raspberry lemon zucchini bars: http://bit.ly/1N2u45Z, thanks to Nutritionawareness.com. A few healthy tips for this recipe: cut out the sugar and use stevia instead. This plant based sweetener has been deemed safe by the FDA, for more information on stevia click this link: http://bit.ly/1LD1j2t.  As for the all-purpose flour, ditch that and try one of these options: http://bit.ly/1JVV1DP!  Enjoy!