Try to eat a variety of non-cooked and cooked foods. Certain nutrients are enhanced during cooking while others are diminished. Cooking foods also protects us from harmful bacteria. For those foods you aren't cooking, be sure to wash them thoroughly. As a general rule, try to minimize the amount of time, heat, water and air you expose to vegetables and fruits. Certain nutrients are sensitive to high heat and long cooking times and can seep out of vegetables and fruit into water which are lost by pouring them down the drain. Additionally, once produce is cut or peeled, nutrient breakdown begins to occur. To ensure you’re getting the most nutrients out of your vegetables and fruit follow these healthy cooking practices:
For more Nutrition Tips click HERE.
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Many people believe that food products with the term "Natural" on the label mean they are healthy. Sadly, this is not the case. The term "Natural" doesn't have a legal definition set by the FDA. They say they don't, "[object] to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances." A recent Consumer Report Survey found that 66% of people think, "...[natural] means a processed food has no artificial ingredients, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms..." Don't be fooled by food companies who slap "Natural" on a processed food and try to pass it off as a healthy food. Read the nutrition facts and ingredients to find out what's really in the food. And when in doubt, stick with actual "Natural" foods like whole vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Want more nutrition tips? Click HERE The best way to ensure you are getting the most nutrients possible is to eat vegetables and fruits as close to coming off the vine or branch as possible. So be sure to take advantage of any local, fresh vegetables and fruits in your area! The longer vegetables and fruits are off the vine or branch the more breakdown of nutrients occur. While buying fresh produce at the grocery store is good, this produce is often picked weeks earlier in another state or country meaning it’s been sitting for weeks of the vine or branch and is constantly losing more and more nutrients. For this reason planting your own produce or buying from a local farmer or farmer’s market is the best way to ensure it’s fresh and has the most nutrients possible. Fresh then frozen, then dried, canned and juice last Fresh is best followed by frozen which is actually a great alternative to fresh. This is especially true when a vegetable or fruit is out of season. Because of the way produce is frozen, minimal nutrients are actually lost in the process (make sure there is no added sugar). Dried fruit with no added sugar comes in third followed by dried fruit with added sugar. Next are canned vegetables and fruits because they usually have added sugar and salt. And in last place is juice, which actually counts towards your 10% of unhealthy food. To recap, the hierarchy for vegetables and fruits goes like this: fresh off the branch or vine, then frozen, dried, canned and juice. Want to learn more about eating healthy? Click Over the past 50 years, the best scientific research has identified what key habits lead to the healthiest lives. In fact we now know what will reduce your risk of obesity, premature death and all chronic disease by 80%. What’s the catch? It can’t be put in a pill or drink and it can’t be bought online. What’s more, this solution doesn’t work quickly, it takes time to work its magic, meaning it won’t give you “Immediate results!!” In fact, what researchers have found is that this solution is a LIFESTYLE, a way of life. There are certain habits the healthiest people in the world practice. Not for a week or month or even 90 days, but consistently year after year. Researchers have identified what these habits are and we provide to you in our 30-day lifestyle plan. Most diets single out one or more particular food groups and demonize them. And they then become the new scapegoat. Whether it’s wheat, dairy, grains, legumes, fruit, fat or something else, these fad diets obsess over one or more foods. Truthfully, they are misguided. But what’s worse, they are scientifically wrong. The result? It sends us all barking up the wrong tree and jumping from one fad to the next. But eventually we always end up right back where we started, confused and still unhealthy. For this reason, statistically speaking you are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and beat it, than you are to lose weight and keep it off. Diets don’t work long-term. Repeat after me. Diets don’t work long-term. Any diet can and will work in the short-term, but we've all seen that they don’t last. And the research has shown us this time and time again. Health Movement’s 30-Day Lifestyle Plan isn’t a fad diet or quick fix. We are the ANTI-QUICK FIX. We don’t single out any one food group for the entire population because the collective research doesn’t say to do so. The obvious exception is for those who have a legitimate food allergy or sensitivity to a certain food(s). They would be wise to avoid them. But these people are the exception, not the rule. For the rest of us, yes you can find a study here or there to support any fad diet you want. But in research it's important to look at the collective science. And when you do, you find this long-term lifestyle based on our 30-Day Lifestyle Plan. When it comes to nutrition we focus on finding the right balance of foods while helping you learn to enjoy the occasional treats guilt free. More importantly we focus on the habits and behaviors the collective research has shown the healthiest people in the world follow. People who are able to lose weight and keep it off long-term, people who remain disease free and live longer and happier than most. Each one of the 10 rules in our 30-Day lifestyle plan has been scientifically proven to help you achieve the healthiest lifestyle and decrease your chances of obesity, depression, anxiety, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and a myriad of other chronic diseases. So why a 30-day plan? Because we know change is hard and trying to do something for 3 months, 6 months or a year can be overwhelming. But 30 days? 30 days is doable. So we have designed a 30-day lifestyle plan to help give you a jumpstart on your road to overall health and weight success. If you follow the plan for 30 days, we guarantee you will see success, feel better, and more importantly be healthier. You can do it! What do you have to lose? Take Health Movement's 30-day lifestyle challenge! Interested in being part of our PILOT PROGRAM? We are putting together a group of people to pilot test our plan and will be starting July 1st. Send us a message on Facebook or email us at contact@healthmovement.com if you are interesting in being a part of our 30-day pilot test. We understand not everyone is at the same level or place in their health journey. For this reason we have developed 3 separate plans: Good, Better, & Best. No matter your current health status or goals you'll be able to find a plan that fits you. Our 30-Day Lifestyle Plan isn't just about nutrition, but includes all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and is for anyone wanting to be healthy regardless of your particular health goals. #HM30Lifestyle #JoinTheMovement #HealthMovement #HlthMvmnt #HealthyLifestyle #AntiQuickFix Should you be avoiding legumes, fruit, dairy, wheat or other grains? In short, no. A lot of popular diets today single out one or more particular food groups and demonize them. And they then become the new scapegoat. Whether it’s wheat, dairy, grains, legumes, fruit, fat or something else, these fad diets obsess over one or more foods. Truthfully, they are misguided. But what’s worse, they are scientifically wrong. The result? It sends us all barking up the wrong tree and jumping from one fad to the next. But eventually we always end up right back where we started, confused and still unhealthy. For this reason, statistically speaking you are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and beat it, than you are to lose weight and keep it off. Diets don’t work long-term. Repeat after me. Diets don’t work long-term. Any diet can and will work in the short-term, but we've all seen that they don’t last. And the research has shown us this time and time again. Here at Health Movement we are developing a 30-Day Lifestyle Plan to help you accomplish your health goals. This most definitely is not a fad diet or quick fix. We are the ANTI-QUICK FIX. This lifestyle plan doesn't single out any one food group for the entire population because the collective research doesn’t say to do so. The obvious exception is for those who have a legitimate food allergy or sensitivity to a certain food(s). They would be wise to avoid them. But these people are the exception, not the rule. For the rest of us, yes you can find a study here or there to support any fad diet you want. But in research it's important to look at the collective science. And when you do, you find this long-term lifestyle based on our 30-Day Lifestyle Plan. Stay tuned for more information. Our 30-Day Lifestyle Plan isn't just about nutrition, but includes all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and is for anyone wanting to be healthy regardless of your particular health goals. Interested in learning more? We are putting together a group of people to pilot test our plan and will be starting sometime within the next month. Email us at contact@healthmovement.com if you are interesting in being a part of our pilot test. Ever talk to yourself when no one's around? We know you have. We all have. Well try something new today. Say these words out loud: "Today I choose to be ___________!" Fill in the blank with whatever you want to be for the day. What is it? Sad, pessimistic, ugly, out of energy, a quitter? Or would you rather be happy, optimistic, beautiful, energetic or a winner? Each day we choose who we will be. Regardless of our circumstances, no one has the power to make you feel or be anything you don't want to be. We're not kidding...literally stop reading for a second, stop and think, and then say out loud: "Today I choose to be ___________!" Say it again, two, three, four times...with enthusiasm, till you mean it! Never blame others for the way you feel. Doing so makes you a victim. Life is a choice. Choose to be the master of your own fate and choose to be great, happy, optimistic, beautiful, energetic, and a winner! For more tips on getting your head in the right place, check out the "Learn" portion of our website: http://healthmovement.com/learn Let's be honest, we all know we should do "strength training" exercises at least two times a week but most of us don't. Why? Because we don't want to go all the way to the gym and then have to wrestle with some guy twice our size just to use a weight machine or the free weights. Well we no longer have an excuse! Because we have a 10 minute strength training program that uses nothing but your body and a chair! That means you do everything in the comfort of your own home. No gym, no stress, just strength training goodness! Check it out. Do each of the 12 exercises for 45 seconds, then you've got 5 seconds to start the next exercise. No breaks. Just go straight until you're done. That will take you ten minutes to do but you'll hardly notice because you're moving from exercise to exercise so fast you don't get bored. Then take a breather, get a drink of water and start over if you want. Do the circuit as many times as you want, once, twice, three times. If the following exercises are too easy, just swap them out for harder ones (burpees etc.). Then let us know what you think! Ten minutes a day is all you need to get started! Anyone can find ten minutes...you can do it, we believe in you and know you can. If you haven’t been active in a while and are just starting out it’s important to remember to start small and build with time. It’s as easy as finding something active you enjoy and doing it for a total of 10 minutes each day. Once 10 minutes seems easy, add on 5 more minutes and then 5 more after that. If you have bad or stiff joints, start with low-impact exercises like walking, biking, swimming, yoga, pilates or an elliptical. And remember, exercise is anything you enjoy that gets your heart rate and breathing up. You can avoid injury by beginning at a low intensity and then moving up gradually to amedium intensity when you feel ready. Additionally, it’s often wise to consult with your physician before starting a new exercise program. Click HERE for more exercise tips! Sleep experts recommend most adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep each day but it’s important to remember that every person is different. Some people can function on less than seven hours of sleep each day while others may need more than nine. Find out how much sleep is right for you. You’ll know you’re getting enough sleep when you stop feeling sleepy during the day. Be aware that the average sleep cycle is 90-110 minutes long. Because of this, if you allow your body to finish a full sleep cycle before waking, you will awake feeling less groggy and more refreshed. If you need more sleep, begin by adding 15 extra minutes each night until you’ve reached your optimum level. Sleep needs also differ depending on our age or stage of life. Getting our required amount of sleep often becomes more difficult as we age, but as adults, our sleep needs generally remain the same for the rest of our lives. There are also a few stages of life that are unique in their sleeping patterns, the first being newborns, infants and toddlers. This age group benefits from frequent naps as part of a regular sleeping schedule. Second, parents should be aware that as children become teenagers, most of them naturally change and become “night owls.” This makes their bodies more prone to staying up and sleeping in later. Despite this change, teenagers still require 9-10 hours of sleep each night. Third, pregnant women may benefit from additional sleep but often experience difficulty sleeping for understandable reasons. It’s important for pregnant women and their partners to make sleep a priority and find solutions to their specific sleep complications. Finally, the elderly tend to spend less time in deep sleep and are more easily awakened. Because of this, regularly scheduled naps during the day can be an effective solution for this population. The chart below outlines the average sleep needs for each age or stage of life. In addition to your specific sleep need it’s likely you’ve also developed a sleep debt that’s been building up over the recent past due to missed sleep. Click HERE for more sleep tips! A number of years ago I ran into a “popular” kid I went to high school with but hadn’t seen since. It had been over ten years since we had graduated from high school but I immediately began to feel the same feelings I did as a teenager: unconfident, inferior and uncool…just like I had ten years previous. I’ve often thought about this experience and the power of our minds and our thoughts. I’m sure many can relate. As a teenager I never told anyone what I thought of myself because I was too embarrassed. But the reality is that I often viewed myself in a bad light. My self-talk was often negative, beating myself down, telling myself I wasn’t as cool, talented, confident or good looking as everyone else. And sadly, over ten years later, my high school identity (or who I saw myself as) resurfaced instantly…immediately impacting my behavior. Unfortunately for most, this story doesn’t end with high school. We continue to feed ourselves negative thoughts that only bring sadness and hold us back from reaching our potential. Each of us views and talks to ourselves a certain way; this is your personal identity. In the depths of your mind where no one else can hear you, what do you tell yourself? “I will never be beautiful.” “I just don’t have the willpower like other people do.” “I will always be fat.” “I’m not good at setting and accomplishing goals.” Often times these thoughts come from others, outside influences, but we then allow ourselves to believe them, and begin repeating them to ourselves over and over. Like a script for our life, these destructive thoughts eventually become our reality. This is our personal identity—the person we see ourselves as. Whatever your thoughts, they will ultimately determine who you are and who you become. If you think your thoughts don’t matter or that people won’t eventually discover what you’ve been thinking, think again. It’s simply impossible to hide your thoughts, for they are your life script. Thoughts turn into actions, which turn into habits, which determine your life. If you have always viewed yourself as lazy, ugly, fat or unmotivated, choose today to be someone different. Choose today to be proactive, beautiful, healthy and motivated. You and only you hold the power to become whoever you want to be. And it starts with your thoughts and the way you view yourself, your identity. If you don’t mentally believe first, you will never physically become. Choose to write a new script. Choose a new identity and read it to yourself daily, in your mind and out loud. Remember that identity is destiny! There is no one size fits all approach to overcoming these challenges. But at Health Movement we have tried to gather the best research together on this topic and combine it with information and tools to help you reach your goals, whatever they may be. Click on the link below if you would like more information. http://healthmovement.com/learn/other/ -Rich Millar, Founder of Health Movement |
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Ground RulesNo judging: we’re all on the same journey, just at different stages so let’s not tear each other down. Categories
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