By Bernard Freeman
Part 2 of 3
More Health Tips
One of the reasons most people fail a diet is because they try to quit foods they’ve eaten all their lives. This does the opposite of what you might think it would. Rather than help you, it hinders you from committing to your diet.
Don’t think of any certain foods as off-limits but try to lower the portion you eat of them. A diet doesn’t mean you have to quit all of your favorite foods. You can still eat your favorite foods, but now you will eat them in moderation. Instead of having a burger from your favorite place Monday through Friday, you can moderate it to only Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Add Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and are packed with nutrients, vitamins, mineral and antioxidants that will help your body stay healthy and make you feel good. Helpguide.org says you should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
This can seem like a lot, but with the proper food prepping you can build upon this to maybe eat more than five servings. A serving is half a cup of raw fruits or vegetables or can also be measured as a small apple or banana.
Helpguide.org also shares some tips on ways you can increase your intake:
- Add antioxidant-rich berries to your favorite breakfast cereal.
- Eat a medley of sweet fruit such as oranges, mangoes, pineapples or grapes for dessert.
- Swap your usual rice or pasta side dish for a colorful salad.
- Instead of eating processed snack foods, snack on vegetables such as carrots, snow peas or cherry tomatoes along with a spicy hummus dip or peanut butter.
Ways to Make Vegetables Tasty
Plain salads and steamed vegetables can be torture to eat day in and day out. It can be hard to keep up a healthy diet if you don’t enjoy the foods you are eating. Here are some tips from Helpguide.org on making vegetables tasty for you and the family.
- Add some color to your plain salad or steamed vegetables. Use sun-dried tomatoes, glazed carrots or beets, and some colorful peppers.
- You can also replace lettuce with other greens such as kale, arugula, spinach or Chinese cabbage.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth with carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and bell peppers.
Adding these vegetables will help satisfy your craving of flavor without ruining your healthy diet. Don’t be afraid to mix in and try different types of greens to enhance your diet and your taste buds. Vegetables can be just as tasty as any snack you love if you take the time to learn to make them tasty.
Outdoor Workouts
There is no better time than spring to start some outside workouts. Outside workouts can be a jog, high intensity interval training, or HIIT, cardio and or even just a light jog through the park with your dog.
Here are some outside workouts you can do to take advantage of the beautiful spring workout.
Running
Running can be a great workout that is versatile. You can run anywhere at any time making it a workout that you can do year-round. With spring being here, the weather is warmer and sunny making it the perfect time to take yourself out to the park and begin your running journey.
There are a lot of ways you can run: long distance, short intervals, and more. Remember, if you are a beginner, don’t run for more than your body can take. It puts a lot of stress on your legs and spine, so begin moderately and slowly build up your stamina.
Set yourself up for success by creating goals that are easily attainable. This will help you enjoy and fall in love with running as your body trains and gets used to the sport.
HIIT Cardio
HIIT, or high intensity interval training, is a workout involving periods ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes working between 80 to 100% of your maximum heart rate with short recovery periods. HIIT cardio can be done by anyone, even the average gym-goer.
There are two types of HIIT workouts, the one we just explained and SIT, or sprint interval training, recommended for well-conditioned people.
Body Weight Park Workouts
As the name suggests, with this workout, there are no types of bars or gear you work out with. Solely just your body weight at a park. Workouts consisting of push-ups, sit ups, jump rope and dips. This workout can really be done anywhere there is room for your body to be laid out in push-up position but being in the park adds a little more pleasant circumstances to the workout.
Take the time to learn these workouts and apply them in your daily life. Try and begin by taking two days a week to go out to your favorite park and try these workouts. Add more days as you adjust and find yourself enjoying the time to work out.
