Here is some helpful information, visuals, regarding serving sizes:
Two cups of mixed greens are two baseballs.
One cup of raw vegetables is a baseball.
A half cup of cooked vegetables, rice, cereal, couscous, bulgur wheat, beans, tofu, or low-fat cottage cheese is a cupcake or muffin.
One medium baked potato or sweet potato is a computer mouse.
For vegetable or fruit juice, 8-10 ounces is about three-quarters of a soda can.
One medium piece of raw fruit is a tennis ball.
One cup of berries or chopped fruit is a baseball.
A fourth of a cup of dried fruit is a golf ball.
A half of a whole-grain 3-ounce bagel, a half of a whole-wheat English muffin, or a half of a whole-grain hamburger bun is a hockey puck.
One whole-wheat pita or one whole-wheat flour or corn tortilla is an average-sized saucer.
Four whole-grain crackers are four tea bags.
Two low-fat whole-wheat pancakes are two compact discs.
One cup of milk (skim, low-fat, 1 percent, soy, rice, and nut milks) or one cup of plain, low-fat, sugar-free, or soy yogurt, is a baseball.
An ounce of hard cheese is a tube of lipstick.
One vegetarian burger or patty is a lid to a mayonnaise jar.
One tablespoon of oil (olive, canola, flaxseed, peanut, sesame, walnut, or other oil), salad dressing, mayonnaise, nut butters, nuts, or seeds is one checker.
When it comes to meat, I recommend 4 ounces—roughly the same size as your checkbook or a deck of cards—as part of a healthy meal.
You’re at that point where you say…”I can’t do this on my own! I’ve tried again and again to lose this weight; to build more muscle, or just feel better…only to be frustrated time again and again! Would hiring a personal trainer be the answer? And what do I look for in a personal trainer? If I’m going to entrust my physical well – being and my health to a stranger, they better know what they’re doing! ”
Well, let’s look at what makes a good personal trainer. A good trainer has the appropriate certifications. He or she has an excellent repetition in the industry and with his/her clients, and he or she has exceptional communication skills.
So what makes for a qualified personal trainer? A personal trainer should be educated and certified through a reputable fitness organization. Remember this person’s job is to assess your fitness level, set up a program for you and keep you motivated. He or she will push you past your comfort level–something difficult for you to do on your own.
Now where do you go to find a “qualified trainer”, an individual who will educate, motivate and inspire you to reach for the sky … an individual that knows his/her stuff… that will protect, motivate and get the results and lifestyle change you desperately want! I highly recommend doing your research before you make that kind of investment, for it can be costly!
A good place to start is the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The NCCA accredits programs that meet its standards.NCCA accredited programs was the only place on the Internet where you can compare accredited personal training certification programs. There, you will soon discover that not all trainers are equal when you compare accreditation and standards in the industry.
Learn how to eat properly based on your goals and your personal profile
Learn to turn your body into a “fat burning machine” – Lose up to 2 pounds a week and keep it off for life!
Find out how you can get maximum results based on the best fitness prescription for YOU!
Find out how to burn fat while you sleep, watch tv or sit at your desk at work
Have the body you’ve always wanted; be in the best shape at 40 or 50 then you were at 20
Regain your pre-pregnancy body; better yet, redefine a better YOU!
Get the motivation, inspiration, and accountability you need to stick with a complete health & fitness program
Learn new training techniques and reinforce training habits
Learn to adapt to a lifetime exercise program
Learn how to exercise properly to achieve goals, rehabilitate injuries, and prevent future injuries
Show your family and friends that you have made the choice to be different from the 60% of Americans that choose to live their lives overweight and unhealthy!
The ultimate goal of befitgal.com is to turn you into your own personal trainer!!
Go Veg. Think protein-rich plant foods at every meal. It’s possible to get 75 to 105 grams of protein a day by eating a variety of soy products, beans, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Add a little peanut butter to your whole grain bread, toss some lentils into your pasta sauce, or add chickpeas, or pine nuts to a salad.
Go Organic. A handful of fruits and vegetables – including spinach, apples, peaches, and strawberries tend to have particularly high levels of residues, so organic may be your safest bet. If you can’t buy organic, take extra care when washing these foods
Good Essential Fats. Your body won’t run well on a totally fat-free diet. We need fat on a daily basis to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which our bodies can’t process by in isolation. Research further suggests that prostate-boosting lycopene and other antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are absorbed better when combined with good fats.
The Best Carbs. Slow-burning carbs are high in fiber and are slow to digest. They keep your blood sugar energy, and should be a staple of your diet. Where can you find them? In oatmeal and other whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits, and vegetables. Fast-burning carbs are digested quickly, are low in fiber, and have a greater effect on your blood sugar. They provide a quick hit of energy that’s useful to runners right before working out, but you should eat them in moderation. You can find them in pasta, white rice, white flour, potatoes, and cornflakes.
Slow Eating. Eat slowly if you want to lose weight. It takes 20 minutes for your body to register that it’s full, so it’s easy to load up on extra calories if you’re speed eating. Take the time to savor each bite and watch the pounds melt away.
Nutritious Winter Squash. Winter squash is a nutrition packed food. One cup of winter squash provides 145 percent of your recommended daily intake of beta-carotene and one-third of your daily value of vitamin C. Winter squash also aids in hydration. Most varieties are 89 percent water, and acorn squash boasts 896 milligrams of potassium per cup (nearly double that of a banana). Potassium, an electrolyte lost through sweat, helps regulate fluid levels in the body.
Healthy Carbs. Fresh fruits such as berries, melons, peaches, plums, and nectarines are loaded with carbohydrates – about 15 grams for every tennis ball size serving – and packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Protein Power. To repair muscle fibers damaged during strength training, eat lean protein sources. Low-free dairy, soy products, legumes, fish, lean beef and poultry, and eggs all supply needed amino acids. Aim for approximately 80 grams of protein per day.
Conscious Indulgences. Indulgences are as necessary as training. If the ice cream cake is for a really special occasion, have a slice, then make a compromise later in the day. Save the nuts and fruit you bought for a snack tomorrow.
The Best Chocolate. Need a chocolate fix? Go for dark varieties. Dark chocolate is differentiated by the percentage of cocoa it contains. The higher the percentage, the more cocoa and the less sugar it has. Choose a percentage of 70 or more for the most antioxidants. If the ingredients include hydrogenated oil, or trans-fats, skip it!
We hear it all the time, for good health you must eat healthily and exercise. But what exactly is healthy eating? Healthy eating essentially means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. Diet simply means the food we eat.
A nutritionally sound diet promotes good health. A healthy diet must include several food, groups. The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet, a healthy diet, means consuming from all the different food groups in the right quantities, so you can have the right amount and mix of the nutrients and minerals your body needs. Nutritionists say there are five main food groups – whole grains, fruit, vegetables, protein, and dairy. I differ in opinion as a vegetarian regarding the food groups, which I have addressed in an earlier blog, but that’s not my emphasis here. My emphasis is a balanced, healthy diet. However, too many in our country do not embrace the guiding principles for good health.
Our country is facing a chronic problem with the increasing rate of obesity in the overall population, which includes adults as well as our children. An abstract from the Journal of American Medicine reads, “ More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.” The states of Mississippi and Alabama alone have obesity rates above 30% while 22 other states have obesity rates all over 25%. Moreover, the percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 now considered overweight or obese.
The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following recommendations.
We should aim for an energy balance and a healthy bodyweight.
We should limit our energy consumption from total fats.
We should also aim for more unsaturated fats and less saturated fats.
We should up our consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts. We should consume, as little simple sugars are possible.
We should also limit our consumption of salt/sodium.
Isn’t it time, you embrace good health, and a good life?
*Weight-loss results may vary. Always consult your physician before making any dietary changes or starting any nutrition, weight control or exercise program. Information regarding training and exercise on this site is of a general nature.
