Page 19 - Florida Sentinel 12-29-17

Health
With the new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. For many people, this means leading a healthier lifestyle and losing weight. If this is your goal, follow these tips to stay on track.
Make Goals
Goals help measure progress. If you don't know where you want to end up, you won't really know how
to get there.
Track What You Eat AND Eat
Breakfast
Looking closely at what you eat is often an eye-opening ex- perience. Tracking will help you tweak your diet so that you can still enjoy foods you love.
Surely you've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is! Eat a big healthy breakfast as early as possible. It will give you more energy, lead you to make healthier choices during the day, and keep you feeling full so you eat less later on.
Exercise AND Take It Slow
In order to burn calories at a faster rate and build a healthy body, you'll need to in- corporate exercise into your life. Take it slow at first, and then in- crease your time and/or inten- sity once you feel comfortable. If you haven't exercised in a while, talk to your doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to begin an exercise plan.
Be Prepared For Lapses
A lapse is when you tem- porarily "fall off the wagon." This is a normal part of the process; no one is perfect. It is important for you to take a mo- ment to recognize that you got sidetracked, but don't use it as an excuse to throw in the towel. Every day is a new chance to start over, so return to your healthy lifestyle immediately.
Find Your Motivation AND Have A Plan
What is motivating you to lose weight? Do you want to look better in your clothes, feel
more energetic, or simply improve your health? Get clear about what you want, and then use that to inspire you through- out your journey. Before January 1st ar- rives, outline the changes you want to implement and decide how you'll fit them into your schedule. Keep in mind that it may be best to take steps rather than tackle everything at once.
Fill Up On Vegetables
Vegetables are filled with nutrients, water, fiber, and very few calories. If you fill half of your plate with veg- etables, you'll get fuller faster and cut down your calories without feeling deprived.
You feel tired or dizzy, it could be that your body is trying to tell you that you're dehydrated.
Water regulates your body temperature, aids digestion and helps maintain healthy tissues and muscles, so it goes without saying just how important it is to stay hydrated if you want your body to function prop- erly. And while we all know that drinking water is a great (and cheap) way to hydrate, there are sev-eral other beverages which get the job done.
Milk: According to Time, a 2016 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk, especially skim milk, is more hy- drating than water. Plus,
unlike water, milk has a fantastic blend of protein and nutrients which makes it a great drink for after a workout.
Sports Drinks: If you have been working out intensely for an hour or more, then sports drinks may be a better alternative to water be- cause they contain sug-
ars and electrolytes which can be absorbed by the body faster than pure water, therefore aiding re- hydration.
Coconut Water:
While sports drinks are high in carbohydrates, coconut water is low in carbohydrates while still rich in potassium, which
makes it a fantastic post workout drink if you’ve done light exercise. Also, be sure to drink the unsweetened varieties.
Smoothies: Smooth- ies consist of mostly fruit and vegetables, water (usually blended as ice cubes), all of which makes for not only a delicious but also nutritious and hydrat-
ing drink. If you’re making your own smoothie, try to include fruits that have a lot of water, like wa- termelon, peaches, and strawberries.
Fruit Juice: Accord- ing to NaturallySavvy, drinking a freshly squeezed fruit juice like a carrot and ginger combination (veggie juice tends to be a bet- ter option because
sugar can inhibit rehydration) or pure orange, is a fantastic way to ensure that you are hydrated. To make the fruit juice less sugary, add water to di- lute.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-B
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