Good Health For Life

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art. Francios de La Rochefoucauld

Despite the popularity of wacked-out fad diets, Weight Watchers remains a top contender in terms of nutritious eating and sustainable weight loss. Members find success by making flexible, achievable, PERMANENT changes in their dining habits and lifestyle behaviors. On occasion, it makes good sense to review the tenets of the program in order to reaffirm goals and ensure a continuous influx of nutrient-dense fuel for your fire.

The WW gurus encourage implementation of the following guidelines:

1. Eat at least 5 servings of Fruits and Vegetables each day. Loading your plate with nature's bounty will yield a multitude of perks. Among the heavy-hitters are disease prevention, a fine-tuned bod, and a low cal food option to satisfy a hungry belly. Every vitamin and mineral that you can think of resides in these rainbow powerhouses. Enjoy a variety of tastes, textures and colors in order to reap the most benefit.

2. Got Milk? Include 2 servings of Milk products daily. Milk & dairy are rich in calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin A. (Possibly even Vitamin L.....that's LOVE for those who don't listen to B.E. Taylor ☺. ) Daily doses promote bone health and support muscle and nerve function. Choose low-fat over the full-strength stuff. Wear your Moo mustache with pride, 'cuz milk does a body good. {wink, wink}

3. Munch on 2-3 servings of Lean Protein every day. Protein is instrumental in speeding up metabolism, curbing appetite and increasing muscle mass. Transform yourself into a lean, energized, fat-burning machine by enjoying quality meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, eggs and soy.

4. Drink at least 6 glasses of Liquid each day. 55-60% of your bod is made up of water. Besides being essential for life, fluids can help quench your cravings, enhance fat loss, and optimize organ function. Grab a drink and hydrate yourself. The power of H2O should not be underestimated.

5. Choose Whole Grains whenever possible. Whole grains provide the highly revered fiber plus a buttload of vitamins. Consumption will benefit your bod in a host of ways, including disease prevention. Seek out the complex carbs, and limit the simple. Otherwise, choose whole wheat over white bread, pasta, rice, etc.

6. Have 2 Teaspoons of Healthy Oil each day. I covered this one in a previous post, but let me slip in a reminder. Choose olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, or flaxseed oils. Vegetable oil is not considered a "healthy" oil.

7. Engage in 30 minutes or more of Exercise on most days. A healthy diet is built on a foundation of regular exercise, which keeps calories in balance and your weight in check. Exercise will improve your mood, give you energy and generally enhance your quality of life.

{Lets get physical, physical....I want to get phyyyyyysiiiical. Let me hear your body talk.}

8. Take a Multivitamin daily. Two words: Health Insurance.

Severely restricting any one of these categories or food groups only leads to health problems. These particular 'rules of the diet road' will make you full, happy, healthy, and a weight loss success story. Learn it, live it, love it.

Peace out.