Need a Snack? Go Nuts!

Just a quick one today. So say its 11:00pm and your feeling hungry. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact it indicates that your doing what you should be and your metabolism is up. Now the question is, what to eat? What I suggest is to grab a hand full of walnuts. Yes, that is my snack of choice. Not only are they high in Omega-3 fatty acids our bodies need, but walnuts (and other nuts) are cholesterol-free. So have some nuts, just remember to get the unsalted type.

Get your day started right

Today I wanted to talk about the most important meal of the day.  As we all may have heard, its  breakfast.  That's no myth, breakfast is your first shot at getting the proper nutrition your body needs to get you through to lunch. It gets your metabolic system going from when you were sleeping and that boost in metabolism is crucial to keeping that calorie furnace going. This is why it is recommended to have breakfast within an hour of waking up. Now onto what to have for breakfast.  As for myself, I am a cereal guy, so I looked for the one that served my goals the best. I found that in the Kashi brand cereal called "Kashi Go Lean". Now I know some of you may have had bad experience with Kashi before, but I highly recommend this cereal because of its high fiber and protein compared to other cereals out there.  If its still too "Kashi" for you then I would recommend "Kashi Go Lean Crunch".  This one is almost the same formula however they have packed the cereal into Very Crunchy clusters and added lots of sweetness. It is definitely more snackable (I would keep this around if I needed just a little snack right out of the box). When I do have it for breakfast it is always with skim milk, and I ask that those of you who haven't kicked the whole milk habit definitely do so. You would be surprised at how much fat is in whole milk compared to skim (especially 7 times a week with cereal).  Now I was a whole milk person myself once, so let me tell you the way to convert.  Try the 2% milk first for a month or two and then move on to skim. I find that the jump from 2% to skim is actually bigger in terms of taste than the whole to 2%. If you find it hard to do the switch, you can always pour part of the bowl with 2% and part with skim to help transition even more gradually. If you can't go that far, then just stick to the 2% and be glad your not drinking the whole stuff anymore (remember its all the little things that will add up to change the big picture).  Oh, I almost forgot, you don't need to just eat cereal all the time, but I'll leave other breakfast tips to another day.

Drink to your health and fitness

So, I decided that the first thing I wanted to talk about was the most important thing we all need to be healthy (let alone alive).  That is of course, WATER!  It doesn't only keep us hydrated; it does much more.  Many of us take water for granted, but it is a cheap and easy tool to promote both weight loss and a healthier body in general.  The fact is that drinking lots of water cleanses the body and helps rid it of excess salts and other compounds.  Also, drinking water instead of sugar filled sodas is a huge way of reducing caloric intake. Speaking of calories, drinking lots of water raises your metabolic rate, and that means that you burn more calories even when at rest.  Looking at water in this way, as a tool to help you become a more fit and healthier individual, is one of the main steps to take for a better you in the future.

Hope this made you all want to get a nice cold glass of the water...btw that reminds me.  Did you know that drinking cold water burns more calories than room temp water?  See ya next time; don't forget to drink your water!

First step on the path

Hi all. I started this blog to help people get on the path to a fit and healthy body. I started this quest myself about 2 years ago. I hope that I can provide a guiding hand to others who wish to improve their current health, lose some extra weight, or gain some muscle.  As many of you have heard, its all about making lifestyle changes. That's easier said than done, but I think that taken step by step it can be done. It is all about the little changes that will add up in the long run.

So, that's it for now, see you next time.