5 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Diet

We're almost at Valentine's Day, which means the year has been flying by (and not because I want it to). By now, most people have forgotten about their New Year's Resolutions and feel guilty about it, so if one of yours was to eat healthy this year...look no further! Here are my tips to getting right back on track and maintain a healthy diet (at least for another couple of weeks...hey, spring break is right around the corner!)

• FIBER. Man, if you knew me in real life I could go on for hours on why I think fiber was the best thing Mother Nature ever decided to create.  How does fiber help you though? Well, it keeps you full for longer than any other food product. Because our bodies cannot digest fiber, it is the main component in what we excrete (yes, fiber makes you poop more...I'm telling you, it's God's given gift). It keeps your body nourished, hydrated, and satisfied for 3-4 hours. Sources: oatmeal, popcorn, whole-grain foods, vegetables, fruits, beans. Get in about 25-27 grams per day of fiber, and your body will be thanking you!

• VARIETY. Many people see eating healthy as not being about to eat anything. Yes, healthy eating means clean eating, so there are no processed foods in your diet anymore. BUT that doesn't mean you can't have fun with your meals! I'm going to give you a challenge that my friends and I do at dinner at least once a week. Everyone around us thinks we're ridiculous, but it's so much fun and really healthy! We (and I'm being completely honest) have salad contests. Yes. We compete as to who can make the most aesthetically-pleasing salad from the salad bar in the dining hall. And let me tell you, we go all out! When you think of something that looks nice, do you see just one color? NO. You see all the colors of the rainbow. We add everything from spinach to beets to sprouts to fruit on our salads. And the more colorful usually means the better the taste! Have fun with your clean, unprocessed foods people!

• MEATLESS MONDAY. Now I don't always do this on a Monday, but I do try to get in one day every week where I do not eat any animal product. So, I take meatless to the extreme and do a vegan diet. You can stick to a vegetarian diet for one day a week (some people can't live without cheese, I completely understand). It ties in with the last tip: add variety to your meals! You become more creative, and it makes eating food that is healthy that much more fun when you have to challenge yourself!

• PORTIONS MY FRIENDS. I know, big plates of food are always the best plates of food (Thanksgiving just kills everyone's idea of a portion, doesn't it?), but smaller portions are always the way to go. Try one cup of rice rather than 2. Maybe 3-4 oz of animal meat rather than 6-8 oz. Keep the portions small to keep that waistline small!

• MODERATION IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER. If you are craving chocolate, eat a piece of chocolate. If you're craving red velvet cake, eat a slice of red velvet cake. Don't deprive yourself because that is how you get to the bingeing stage when rather than eat a slice of cake, you just eat the entire cake (been there, done that.) When you want chips or bread rather than the apple at Panera, go for it. Just do so in moderation. Only have the chips/bread 1/4 of the times you go to Panera. Have that slice of cake one night a week. Keep the delicious, processed foods in moderation so that your waistline doesn't go anywhere!

There you have it lovelies! Take these tips and run with the wind--English major jokes are awkward because I'm a science major--and whenever you get a bit off track, just jump right back on to the track. 

I love you all lots!

<3, Jo

Choose Wisely

I have been sitting here at work trying to figure out what to write. I'm supposed to leave in five minutes but my boss won't let me until I publish a blog post for today (he's just so darn super, isn't he). I guess it's a good thing; he's trying to make me realize that now is the time to take my future seriously, and I guess he's right. The problem is that I have written about the three things that have been bugging me lately. My mom's need to watch Dr. Oz everyday, my family's and friends' lack of motivation to do anything, and my family's lack of exercise due to the heat (or so they say). Nothing else has really been on my mind. I even tried looking at the Daily News that the American Dietetics Association (ADA) sends out everyday. There really is nothing of blog writing caliber on there today except for the new BMI calculator that still makes you calculate your BMI (here's an article if that interests you). All in all, let's just say I have no clue what I am going to write about, so here goes nothing.

After seeing that video of Giavanni Ruffin, I started to research the preacher that makes that video so inspirational, Eric Thomas. He just wrote a book, "The Secret to Success". Now, usually I don't buy into self-help books because honestly, I feel like the advice in all of them is common sense. But after researching Thomas, I began to really want to buy that book. So, I did.  I read the entire thing last night too (meaning, I stayed up until about 3 am). Now, what Thomas said in his book is pretty common sense, but his stories with all of his principles and rules on how to become successful really hooked me. This man ran away from home at the age of sixteen and was homeless for 2 years. I can't really give the story justice--my writing is not that great--but if you are feeling like reading an autobiography of an exceptional person, please read this book.

There were some of his principles that really stuck with me that I hadn't realized that I already did them this summer. One in particular was "choosing friends is a matter of life and death". Thomas stated that the people you associate yourself with are the people who are going to have the greatest influence on your life. You have to associate yourself with people who "believe in something and are passionate about their beliefs". People who are as determined and motivated as you to get where they want. People who are going places. Recently, I deleted a lot of friends on Facebook, even people who I considered my closest friends in high school. I spent the first half of this summer trying to get my friends to take their futures seriously but if you have ever seen the Jersey Shore, well, then you know how some of my friends think (okay, maybe they aren't as ridiculous but you get the picture). I didn't want that for myself. I want to be healthy and motivated, determined and knowledgeable. I wanted this summer to be about growth in my field, not just about relaxing and not caring about anything. My friends didn't provide me with that so I dropped them. Even though they may see it as rude and selfish of me, I think I did the right thing. I mean, it was pretty selfish (they don't get to see my obviously great personality anymore), but it was what I needed to stay motivated. Now more than ever, I am motivated to do anything and everything I want to do. Best of all, I am not tied down by friends who don't understand that I would rather stay in and study to become a certified personal trainer than drink in a tent in someone's backyard so that her mom doesn't see.

What does this have to do with nutrition? Well, I guess it's the "What to Believe" part of this blog. Believe in yourself and don't be your own enemy. If you notice that there's a group of people bringing you down, distance yourself from them. In the long run, it will do you more good than harm. Mental health is just as important as the health of your body, so take care of that too. Now, it's 15 minutes past my clock out, so I'm going to end this. I PROMISE tomorrow's post will be about nutrition. Maybe a recipe?