The Mindset of Training and Nutrition

In order to successfully reach your fitness and health related goals, one must train the mind. Every day, millions of people make their way to fitness facilities for countless one hour training sessions, yet never see results. Why is that? What people don't realize is how much the mind can help you reach your goals more quickly. Having a positive mindset and thinking logically about your decisions goes a long way. If some type of training program doesn't make sense to you, why would you do it? If you are someone who continues to reduce calories or stuffs their face with food to the point where you feel sick, is it working? No it's not working! Logically, that is not the right solution for you. Hard work and being persistent with your training and nutrition is the key to success. Becoming an expert of your own body does not happen overnight for anyone, so don't feel discouraged. A big part of your mindset should be focused on nutrition. Nutrition plays the biggest role when trying to change your appearance or get in shape. Instead of spending hours online reading nutrition articles, I have given you some quick informational advice below.

It is important to understand the importance of the essential nutrients and which role they play inside your body. Macro Nutrients: Protein, carbohydrates, Fatty acids Protein - Protein is used by the body to perform an enormous amount of different chemical processes in the human body. The most important one we are concerned about is its ability to repair muscle tissue. Without proper protein intake, your body would go into a catabolic state (lose muscle/shrink) whereas having enough protein will put your body in an anabolic state (ability to build muscle). Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of fuel. It is important to understand that carbohydrates are not what make your body gain weight. Although carbohydrates are not the reason one adds extra weight to their frame, when attempting weight loss, carbohydrates should be decreased to an amount that just provides enough energy for your body to perform the task at hand (work, weight training, cardio, etc.). Fatty Acids - Fats are considered the most energy-dense nutrient. They provide three major roles in the human body such as, protection of important organs, preserving heat within the body when in colder climates, and provide a large amount of stored energy within the body. Healthy fats are very important in ones diet because they help with brain function and regulate hormones. 

Water + Micro Nutrients: Vitamins & Minerals Water - Water intake is very important when trying to become more fit and healthy. One should drink at least 8 cups of water a day to stay properly hydrated. Individuals who exert more energy should drink even more that 8 cups in order to compensate for the liquid lost during activity. The human body cannot build muscle when it is dehydrated which is why alcohol is prohibited when trying to lose weight, build muscle and look great. Water also is the medium by which chemical reactions take place in the body. Without water, our bodies would slowly shut down. Vitamins - A vitamin is a non-energy yielding, organic compound that's essential to the body. Vitamins are used in metabolism to create energy through digestion, absorption, transportation and cellular metabolism. There are two categories vitamins are split into; they are water-soluble, and fat-soluble. Minerals - Minerals are inorganic substances containing elements the body needs in small amounts. Minerals can be obtained through our diet. If we eat an adequate amount of plants and meat products, our bodies usually have enough mineral nutrients to function properly.

To Healthy Living

TP Maluleke

Health And Wellness Coach

For A Healthy Diet Changing As Well An Unhealthy Snack List

Eating snacks while at the office or at home just after lunch is a common event. It usually doesn't matter if the snack is healthy or not, or what the effects of these snacks can have on our overall health. Bad habits are like viruses in your diet, causing bad health in what you are eating. If you don't clear these viruses out then the cycle will continue and ruin your life. Our eating pattern becomes a habit that most people fall into through no real fault of their own. When selecting a certain diet most people don't have the patience or the know how to try several things to see if they work, let alone to try many to find one that does work. 

Where does a good diet start from? Healthy eating and drinking within recommended guidelines is very much a part of an ideal diet. As well, your social life is as important as your diet for good health. Being socially connected is vital to good mental and physical health. People who are socially connected not only live longer, they're less likely to succumb to a variety of diseases. The effects of food on health are well established and some people are fully aware of this. Diet changes can help losing weight, control diabetes, protect against cancer and prevent heart disease. Food is our basic building block and fuel for our health.

 Often simple changes to our diet can make a positive difference to our health, adding more natural foods such as fruits and vegetables especially leafy greens to your diet, as well at the same time eliminating processed foods and sweet drinks. Foods that contain few nutrients add to obesity, rob the body of vitamins, minerals and promote acid indigestion. It is important that a diet is as natural, dense and organic as much as possible. When changing from an eating pattern after consuming mainly processed food over a long time becomes a shock to the digestive system where many changes are taking place. This is often a sign of different things and one of them is a certainty: Cravings for food will increase.

 However, when changing from a bad diet to a good one some adjustment time is necessary. Here are some ideas and options if hunger pain strikes between meals. Healthy Snack List for Sweets What if you had a healthy snack list that you can refer to when hunger strikes? This will not only keep your overall health but also helps detoxification of your body. Here is a snack list if craving sweets: A ¾ cup of mango tossed with lime juice and some red pepper flakes on it makes a healthy diet. It will give you around eighty-six calories and two grams of fat. One sheet or four small graham crackers spread with one teaspoon of each skin ricotta along with jam is also a good example of healthy snacks. It will give you around eighty-six calories and two grams of fat. Half a cup of strawberries which are fully tipped in chocolate is another option. To make it even better microwave one tablespoon of chocolate chips for ten-second increments until it's melted. 

This will give you around ninety-three calories and four grams of fat. You can also take half a large pink grapefruit, sprinkle it with half a tablespoon of brown sugar and then boiled for five minutes. This will give you sixty-nine calories and absolutely zero gram fat. Healthy Snack If You Are Craving For Salt Half a cup of edamame (bean-soybeans) sprinkled with some salt (use sea or rock salt, not table salt), is the first option for a healthy snack list. It will give you about ninety-five calories and four grams of fat. One large boiled egg sliced up and sprinkled with cumin and salt is also beneficial for your health. Use celery seeds or nutmeg if required. This will give you around eighty calories and six grams of fat.

 Take three ounces of deli turkey with half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard spread over it. Roll it up by using two romaine lettuces for your healthy snack. It will give you around ninety calories and one gram of fat. One cup of Campbell harvest light soup of a roasted chicken with Italian herbs is also a nice example of healthy snacks. It will give around eighty calories and three grams of fat. A Healthy Snack List if You Are Craving Crunchy Take some tortilla chips along with two tablespoons of salsa for dipping the chips before you eat. This will give you around eighty calories and three grams of fat. Slice a small apple and toss it with one teaspoon of cinnamon and bake at 250 until they are crispy. 

It will give you ninety-nine calories and zero fat. One cup of Jicama sticks with two tablespoons of hummus is a good option. It will give you ninety-six calories and three grams of fat. One rye crisp-bread topped with one sliced tomato. It will give you ninety-nine calories and five grams of fat. These are several of the options you can use in case of hunger becoming the better of you between meals. This is also a good time to eat fruit between or before a meal, because you should never eat fruit after a meal. The most important step to a healthier life is the change to a healthy diet.

To Healthy Living

TP Maluleke

Health And Wellness Coach