Find your inner motivation
No one else can make you lose weight. . . .Make a list of what’s important to you to help stay motivated and focused, whether it’s an upcoming beach vacation or better overall health. Then find a way to make sure that you can call on your motivational factors during moments of temptation. Perhaps you want to post an encouraging note to yourself on the pantry door, for instance.. . . . Pick people to support you who will encourage you in positive ways, without shame, embarrassment or sabotage. . . . If you prefer to keep your weight-loss plans private, be accountable to yourself by having regular weigh-ins, recording your diet and exercise progress in a journal, or tracking your progress using digital tools.
fitness
🍎 Health Hack: #1 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Make a commitment
Long-term weight loss takes time and effort — and a long-term commitment. Make sure that you’re ready to make permanent changes and that you do so for the right reasons. To stay committed to your weight loss, you need to be focused. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to change your habits. . . . Make a plan to address other stresses in your life first, such as financial problems or relationship conflicts. While these stresses may never go away completely, managing them better should improve your ability to focus on achieving a healthier lifestyle. Once you’re ready to launch your weight-loss plan, set a start date and then — start.
🍎 Health Hack: Fuel for Your Run
Pre-run snacks boost blood glucose levels, and can top off muscle carbohydrate stores — essential fuel for longer, harder runs. The more time for digestion, the larger the snack. For a snack two hours ahead, go for something rich in carbohydrates such as a bowl of cereal, peanut butter sandwich or small smoothie. This can help power your run and prevent hunger. Typically, 50 to 75 grams of easily-digested carbohydrates can be consumed two hours before a run without causing any stomach upset. . . . When short on time, go for lighter snacks that your body can digest quickly. Consider a handful of dry cereal or a slice of toast with jam. Aim for 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates in the hour before a run. You also can pop in a carbohydrate gel or half an energy bar for easy digestion if you don’t have access to easy snack foods.
❤️ Health Hack: Want a Better Brain?
The benefits of your exercise program might just be in your head. Turns out that all the work you do to build a better bicep helps your brain, too. . . . You can actually build a stronger brain through exercise. These are just a few of the remarkable findings that might motivate you to either recommit to your fitness regimen or get started today. When you exercise, you . . .
- Feel better.
- Enhance learning.
Sharpen memory.
- Improve vision.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic
🍎 Health Hack: Almonds for a Healthy Heart
Almonds
One Of the World’s Healthiest Foods
Almonds are rich in healthy fats, fiber and protein, these nuts are made for more than snacking. Use slivered almonds as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, add them to muffin recipes, or use almond flour in place of regular flour in pancakes.
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🍎 Health Hack: Ditch the Diet
“Diets are much like fashion—trends come and go,” says Natalia Groat, MS, RD, CD, a clinical dietitian at Harborview Medical Center. “Instead, stay in tune with how you feel after meals or snacks, and eat more of what makes you feel great.”
Nutrition Hack: Embrace Whole Grains
4 Benefits of Whole Grains
- Bran and fiber slow the breakdown of starch into glucose—thus maintaining a steady blood sugarrather than causing sharp spikes.
- Fiber helps lower cholesterol as well as move waste through the digestive tract.
- Fiber may also help prevent the formation of small blood clots that can trigger heart attacks or strokes.
- Phytochemicals and essential minerals such as magnesium, selenium and copper found in whole grains may protect against some cancers.
Health Hack: #6 of Life’s Simple 7 for Optimal Cardiovascular Health
#6. Control your cholesterol. Unhealthy cholesterol levels contribute to plaque buildup in arteries (atherosclerosis), which makes
Source: American Heart Association
arteries narrower and stiff.
Nutrition Hack: 9 of 10 Intuitive Eating Principles
Intuitive Eating Principle #9
Exercise — feel the difference
Find ways to move your body that you enjoy. Shift the focus from losing weight to feeling energized, strong, and alive.
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Nutrition Hack: 8 of 10 Intuitive Eating Principles
Intuitive Eating Principle #8
Respect your body
Rather than criticizing your body for how it looks and what you perceive is wrong with it, recognize it as capable and beautiful just as it is.
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