The right exercise program is always important in helping you achieve your fitness goals, but it’s not the only thing you should focus on.  As I tell my clients all the time, you can work out until you’re blue in the face but if you don’t eat well, you’re just throwing your efforts out the door!  Is it really worth killing yourself over and over again just to get frustrated, then go bingeing?  Although you may be burning calories exercising, you can put it all back and then some with the wrong choices.   Food preparation is the key to success especially if time is something you don’t have.  Feel free to search my previous blogs for nutrition 101, breakfast, and easy meals for a better understanding of what “healthy  eating” means.

In the meantime, below is a list of suggestions for the next time you go food shopping.  Choose alternate options based on your allergies or your dietary needs:

Protein:

Lowfat Plain greek yogurt (stay away from the ones with added sugar, buy raw honey and add your own serving with fresh fruit)

Lowfat Cottage cheese

Eggs, tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, chickpeas

Almond milk, skim milk

Lean ground turkey, chicken, lean beef or pork, salmon, tilapia

Unsalted mixed nuts or almonds

Unprocessed almond butter or peanut butter

Complex Carbohydrates:

Quinoa (contains protein too)

Beans

Sweet Potato

Steel cut oatmeal

Brown rice, wild rice, barley, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous

whole wheat or whole grain bread, wrap, flaxmeal wrap

Good fats – Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated (in moderation):

Extra virgin coconut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

Unsalted nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts,macadamias, pecans)

Flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds

Avocados

Olives

**Good fats such as omega 3′s come from fish.  As long as you’re eating a balanced diet, a good portion of your protein will already consist of this.**

Fruits and Vegetables:

Fruits should be consumed in moderation as these are simple sugars which is still sugar.  Be colorful and choose fruits you will stick to.  I love all types of berries, melons and pineapples.

Dark leafy veggies such as kale,spinach, bok choy are very nutritious and high in fiber.  Other options such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, collard greens, arugala, green beans, and okra are great options too.  The more colorful your plate can be, the more nutrients you will receive.  Green, yellow, red peppers, mushrooms,carrots, onions, corn, cauliflower, and squash, amongst many other veggies have a wide range of health benefits.  As long as you’re not marinating your veggies in oil or thick creamy sauce, you should be fine.  Steamed veggies is the healthiest option but not the tastiest.

Balance is the key to healthy nutrition.   Eating several smaller meals throughout the day will help increase your metabolism and keep your energy levels sustained throughout the day.  There is no one way of eating that works for everyone as we are all different body types, genetics and therefore have different needs.  Experiment and find what works best for you.  You work too hard to sabotage your efforts with a poor diet.  You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to be wiser in your choices.

Bon apetit!

Cindy Lai Fitness