How to Stay in Shape Naturally

Living wisely enables good health, and weight loss. What does your diet consist of? Here’s the overall menu we should have throughout the year:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Four servings of vegetables daily
• Four servings of grains daily
• Three servings of dairy daily
• Two servings of meat or protein daily
• Fresh Water
• Water bottle

1. Breakfast: This should include at least one grain, one dairy and one fruit serving. Options can include: cereal with milk, fruit, eight (8) ounces juice, coffee or tea. A second option consists of two (2) pieces of toast or one whole bagel with low-fat butter and marmalade, fruit, coffee or tea and juice. Switch option two to one piece of toast, and you can include one (1) soft-boiled egg. Cream cheese is popular with bagels and is a good dairy selection. Go with fat-free or low-fat cream cheese.
2. Lunch: This should include at least one grain, one fruit, one - or maybe two - vegetables, and one meat serving. One possibility includes: sandwich, made with whole grain bread, light mayonnaise or mustard, one (1) slice of meat, cucumber slices, and one-two tomato slices. Include one piece of fruit, eight (8) ounce glass of water (minimum), and two-three (2-3) carrot or celery sticks.
3. Snack: Possibilities include (select one)
   One (1) whole cucumber
   One (1) whole celery stalk
   One (1) apple with light peanut butter
   One (1) cup Indian style potato chips - or salt-free baked potato chips with Old Bay Seasoning
   Eight ounces water - always have this with any snack

Tips & Warnings

• Have a small handfull of peanuts, almonds, or walnuts prior to mealtime. Studies show this small fat increment gives the brain a boost, and stiffles the urge to splurge at table. Almonds and walnuts are said to have the Omega fats our diets need.
• Twice Baked Potatoes can be tastefully made without the added calories. Bake the potato, scoop out the inside and whip with fat-free milk. Put the mix back into the potato skin and bake for approximately two-three (2-3) minutes. Top with a light coat of pepper to taste. The texture adds taste to an otherwise simple side dish.
• Leave butter off dinner rolls. This can curtail fat intake. Warm the bread instead.
• Pretzels are naturally fat free, and good fillers.
• Oranges have natural Vitamin C and are easy to stash away in your desk drawer.
• Kidney and other beans have brain power, and are good sources of fiber, iron and protein. (For vegans and vegetarians, beans in most categories are good supplements for your meat servings.)
• Whole grain breads are better than white. Higher amounts of fiber, found in whole grain, are good for your heart, and more filling.
• Fresh fruit on cereal makes for better taste. Many options, like blackberries and blueberries, are excellent antioxidants.
• Carrying a water bottle is key. Our bodies are approximately seventy (70)percent water, and we need a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses daily to meet our quota. It's amazing how quickly a refill is needed, when we bring a bottle en route.
• Vinegar can cure an ailing heart, or more specifically, a clogged artery-way. A shotglass of vinegar daily has been shown to help the arteries stay clear of unneeded excess. Mix with equal parts of cider or cran-apple cider to tolerate the taste.
• Take twenty (20) minutes to eat!! The longer we take to enjoy our food, the more satisfied we'll be. When we savor our meals, we fill up faster and are less inclined to want more. When it's time for desert, take one miniature peanut butter cup with a cup of tea or coffee, and eat it, bit by bit, for twenty minutes, and see how satisfied that chocolate craving becomes.
• If you love salt, learn to love pepper. Salt ups the stakes on heart health, but pepper does not, and both do wonders for taste, so stick with what's safe. Pepper will surprise at what she can make flavorful.
• Learn your herbs. These also, like pepper, have wonderful flavor that can enhance the meal aesthetically, tastefully and medicinally.
• Cut up fresh peppers into cream cheese. These will add texture and taste, making your meal more filling, and a vegetable serving at breakfast, if you put this on your bagel.
• Saute garlic to add to foods, such as meats or cooked vegetables. These have been shown to have heart healthy benefits.
• Fat-free anything should be used when your diet is in excess. We need fat in our menus, but the wrong kind is our concern. Be mindful when saturated fat is taking over. Then, it's time to cut back.
• Eggs are great, and excellent sources of iron, but too many can be high in cholesterol. Scale back to two (2) per week, and emphasize cereal and/or toast/bagels for breakfast.
• If your sugar count is on the rise, eliminate juice at breakfast or one piece of fruit. That eight ounce serving of juice is a separate serving of fruit, so be careful to moderate your fruit intake, if you've indulged a bit more lately. Know Your Portions!
• Portion control is a huge contributor in maintaining a shape that is mindful of good health. One meat serving is eight (8) ounces, one (grain) cereal serving is one cup. Those cucumber and celery snacks are high in water, and therefore, great fillers, if the above portions are too slim. Having more than one of these, in fact, will lessen your hunger at mealtime.