Good morning friends! Today I want to throw a suggestion/challenge out there to you. I have a few of my clients actually doing this right now...which is LOG EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. This includes any drinks (even water), GUM (there's calories in gum) and any little bite that you may take when you are making your kid(s) food/snacks.
Keep a notebook in your car, purse, office, etc..etc...so you can quickly right down what you are eating. At the end of each day, take a look at your SODIUM intake. A "healthy" daily allotment of sodium intake is 2300mg. You would be surprised by how much sodium is in the things you wouldn't expect. For example: that bagel you just have to have every morning carries about 450-550mg of sodium, that NAME BRAND coffee spot that you just have to have a FRAP, flavored coffee or whatever "trendy" drink you always get with your name written on the side of the cup has about 220-330mg of sodium. Start taking a look at the little things that you enjoy consuming daily that you think you are actually being "healthy" by having, but instead are carrying around extra water weight due to the sodium and putting yourself at risk for HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
Now what about when you go to a restaurant you ask??? Well, a lot of my clients will "911" me which means call/text me and say "okay Famisha, I'm at this restaurant....WHAT can I eat?!" Well, you'd be surprised the FIRST thing I suggest isn't necessarily a SALAD. But what I do suggest is, substitute a side for a side salad with your dressing on the side (CONTROL your calories), ask that something not be cooked in butter...or be seasoned with extra salt. You are the customer and is your right to ask for something to be cooked a particular way. Just be sure to ask POLITELY, so as not to annoy the server. Also, something else I do if I'm not familiar with the restaurant I'm at is grab my smart phone and type in the restaurant I'm at, the food item I'm thinking about ordering and what the nutritional facts are. This will help you make the right choice, enjoy your food and know how much sodium you are consuming.
So start TODAY...journal your food for 5 days straight and BE HONEST. This isn't going to work if you "accidentally" forget to log that half a cookie you shared with your friend, hubby, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, kid(s). Become AWARE!
Here's the deal if you can consume only 1500mg of sodium a day, you WILL see a difference in the scale. Now you must of course include an EXERCISE program into your daily routine as well. The recommended MINIMUM amount of exercise a day is 20 minutes...I of course say 30 minutes, but I personally don't do LESS than 60 minutes a day. If you don't have time to do 30 minutes straight, then break it up throughout the day in 10 minute increments...JUST DO IT!
Good luck with this challenge and I want to hear from YOU, how you did on this 5 DAY LOGGING of food intake (remember focusing on your SODIUM INTAKE). Have fun with it!
Oh, and you'd be surprised how many delicious food items there actually are out there that do NOT contain a lot of sodium...
I'm off to my Hot Yoga class...I LOVE THURSDAYS! It's my HOT YOGA DAY! Find an exercise you enjoy too and make it happen today! Thanks as always for reading and enjoy the challenge. Make today and the rest of your week a HAPPY, HEALTHY one!!
As Always...Stay Fit and Happy!
Famisha :-)
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