I just saw a photo of myself from the weekend and went yikes, where’s that tummy coming from! Sorry Jerzy, that’s not the way a Happy Body mentor should look! Every 5 years or so, I notice a big change in my overall body composition. This year is no different. Yes, as we get older, the metabolism slows down and it becomes harder to build muscle. So, what should we do? Well, first off, since every body is different, we should be sure of our food sensitivities, ie: what makes us bloat, become gassy and uncomfortable and avoid those foods. Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt and miso help, but be sure to read the labels and look for “live bacteria”, “probiotics” or “fermented” to get results. Fermented foods aid in relieving inflammation which most of us have as we age. Secondly, we need to eat enough to satisfy us but not be overly full or uncomfortable. A simple way to eat enough protein is by measuring the amount in the size of our palm. If we supplement that with two fistfuls of vegetables, it should do the trick. We should be sure to eat often enough that we’re not so hungry by the time we eat that we gorge ourselves. So, every 3 hours within a 12-hour period is a good rule of thumb, eating either 3 light, healthy snacks and 2 healthy meals or vice versa, and fasting for the other 12 hours. If we drink, we should eat less. Lots of calories in booze! So that’s always a good place to cut down. And always do your best to eat what is in season and local. Fresh food is healthiest. But if you can’t grow your own, support your local farmers, local farmer’s markets and local grocers. During the annual fitness conference here in Toronto, I took a course with nutritionist, Alisa Herriman. Her 7 nutrition tips for a healthy future are simple and easy to follow. Here they are, let me know what you think:
1. Eat more plants, plant-based diet reduces heart disease by 40%
2. Drink more water. Track your intake and aim for 2 litres a day. When dehydrated your blood volume drops
3. Reduce Process Foods since the body has to heal, repair and recover afterwards
4. Limit caffeine and alcohol because caffeine interferes with liver pathways and alcohol is like sugar so it increases your glycemic volume
5. Avoid Dairy & Gluten as it is inflammatory for most people
6. Drink daily smoothies with greens - a lot of nutrition in a glass with the top super foods and is easy to digest
7. Plan your menu every week. Fail to plan, plan to fail.