Getting in those Skinny Jeans…

Winter is officially over!!!! It’s is now spring, and you haven’t worn your skinny jeans all winter and now they are a bit tighter than you remember. Did you wash them in hot water? Chances are not! You have probably gained that dreaded winter weight which most of us do; it is the law of nature. Our bodies go into survival mode; centuries ago there was a time when winter would bring great famines. Human beings over time have adapted to that possibility by storing extra fat to survive those harsh winter months. Now in the year 2010, famines in North America are a thing of the past, but our bodies are still hanging on to the fat. We also tend to eat more comfort food than usual because we have those big beautiful sweaters to hide any new bulges. Now we enter panic mode, and obsess over our muffin top. First ladies, don’t panic and throw out those skinny jeans just yet. It is not that warm out there, so we can still camouflage the troubled spots and work on our diet in the meantime.

I’m on my way to becoming a CNP (Certified Nutritional Practitioner) and weekly I will be sharing tips and health advice with you, because I believe health first before all else. We are nothing if we do not have our health, also how will you be able to go on that date if you don’t feel well. Our goal is to obtain optimal health and losing the extra 5 -10 pounds is just an added bonus. Now that being said lets discuss how we can get back into those skinny jeans.

1)       Water, Water, Water drink at least 3 liters of water day, I know in the winter it’s harder to do because of the cold, we’d rather have something warm and comforting to drink. Now that spring is here it’s time to get back into the habit of drinking water. Yes you will be running to the bathroom every hour but that will get under control as your body adjusts to the increase of water consumption. Not only does water keep your weight under control, it flushes the toxins from your body, and it makes your skin supple and glowing. My belief is that water is the fountain of youth; think about it, what do you find at a fountain? WATER!

2)       Fiber - Aim for 30 - 50 grams of fiber a day. The normal SAD (Standard American diet) gets about 15 grams of fiber a day. Fiber rich foods leave you feeling full and satisfied longer, this will help with over eating. In order to avoid bloating and other digestive discomfort (gas) increase your fiber intake slowly by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Good fiber sources are apples, avocado, bananas, berries, beans, lentils and greens like spinach, kale and collards.

3)       Healthy Fats (EFA’s Essential Fatty Acids) -Yes we need fat! Over the years we have been bombarded with Fat Free this and Fat Free that. We’ve obsessed over how much fat was in something rather than what we are actually eating. Most fat free products compensate for the reduced fat with increased sugar and refined carbohydrates. Healthy fat sources are Olive oil (extra virgin or virgin), olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. Also Flax seed, flax oil, chia seeds, and Salba are also great sources of EFA’s and added fiber.

4)       Exercise - Get a least 30 minutes of exercise a day. If you are new to fitness take it slow, start with daily walks. Now that the weather is nice there is no excuse not to take a nice walk around the neighborhood. For the Single Gals this will be a good chance to meet a cute jogger, stop him and chat him up about his favorite jogging trails or the size of shoes if you should feel so bold. For the ladies like me that have been exercising for years but have hit that dreaded plateau I highly recommend getting a trainer. I have one and he is great, I love working out again. If you can’t afford a trainer then change your routine, try new classes at the gym, or start jogging.

These tips are the basics to getting on the path to better health and getting into those skinny jeans again. Try this tomorrow, have a Spinach smoothie for breakfast and add flax seed. Lunch can be a salad of mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, red pepper, chicken breast and some feta cheese, mixed with an olive oil vinaigrette dressing. For dinner sauté some rapini in olive oil and garlic, add Shrimp, red peppers, then mix in Quinoa and spice it anyway you like. Potein, fiber filled, healthy fat recipes are the way to go. Then try and add two fruit snacks for the day and take a walk around the neighborhood. You’ve just had yourself a healthy day…see how easy that was!

Good Luck Ladies and I hope to see you strutting your stuff this summer.

Let me know how it goes.

Cheers to Good Health!