Five Fantastic Ways to Listen to Your Total Body
· Use your noggin. When you think about your overall health, keeping your brain fueled well should be first and foremost in your mind. Your brain is the largest organ in your body and is fueled well with good-quality carbohydrates like whole fruit, vegetables, and grains, plus beneficial fats like omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and walnuts and flax, chia, and hemp seeds.
· Flex your muscles. If you often feel sluggish or tired, ask yourself whether you’re getting enough exercise. Aim to get physical activity regularly by walking, biking, running, or swimming at least 150 minutes a week. Stretching is also a great way to keep muscles flexible and happy.
· Re-energize with nutrient-dense foods. Foods that give you extended amounts of energy throughout the day are also great for your overall health. For meals, fill up half of your plate with colorful produce from vegetables and fruits; a quarter of your plate with powerful proteins from lean red meat, skinless poultry, fish, tofu, beans, or legumes; and the other quarter with grains (half of the time whole grains like whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, and/or oats).
· Hydrate with water. Drink plenty of fluids — and preferably beverages without a lot of calories, such as water, unsweetened tea, and black coffee. The amount of fluid you need depends on your gender, age, and activity level. The more you sweat, the more water you’ll need to replenish fluid losses.
· Give yourself a break. If you have a day of not eating well or you forget to drink water, aim to get back on the healthy habits horse at the earliest opportunity. You can choose more wisely at the next meal or drink a glass of water before you leave the office or go out for the evening. Don’t be hard on yourself — just keep forging ahead.
Find out why fad diets don’t work in a free article at www.dummies.com/extras/totalbodydiet.
In this part …
Get a brief overview of the total body diet approach.
Learn what foods to focus on for total body wellness.
Understand what calories are and how to portion-control them.
Set the bar higher for your physical activity goals to keep weight gain at bay.
Put a team in place to support your total body wellness goals.
Chapter 5. Foods for Total Body Balance
Chapter 6. Focusing on Calories and Portion Size
Chapter 7. Move, Move, Move: Understanding the Importance of Exercise
Chapter 8. Assembling Your Total Body Diet Team