By: Julia Morrow CPT, SSN

During my journey from fitness enthusiast into a personal trainer, I found my passion. I found the more I studied nutrition, the more I enjoyed it. I then went further and got certified as a Specialist in Sports Nutrition, during my studies I did a lot of research on different diets for a specific paper I had to write. It changed my life. I don’t mean to get too dramatic, but I felt compelled to change the way I ate. I have always been a healthy eater and I have tried to instill that into my family. I changed the way I looked at food and what the nutrients could do for me. I have found that people ask me all the time about different foods and nutrition so I thought to compile a brief list of some of my favorite tips for you and your clients to use in their journey.

Day 1: Sunday

Start by making a list (this is of the up-most importance so as to avoid overspending and forgetting essential items!) Shopping at your local farmer’s market is a wonderful way to get fresh fruits and vegetables.  You can us this website to find a farmer’s market in your area http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/farmersmarkets(1).

When shopping with your children you can get them involved by having them write out lists, or if they are too little to write they can go through old magazines and cut out pictures of the foods you need to buy. Once you get home from the store the best way to save time for the rest of week is to clean, cut, and package the produce you brought home.

Day 2: Monday

Start adding Flax Seeds to your diet. 1-2 Tablespoons a day is enough to add 4 grams of fiber, as much fiber as 1 ½ cups of cooked oatmeal which is excellent for weight loss,  as well as 2400 milligrams of omega-3(2) .Omega-3 fats are used by the body to produce series 1 and 3 prostaglandins, which are anti-inflammatory hormone-like molecules.  Series 2 prostaglandins, which are pro-inflammatory molecules produced from other fats, notably the omega-6 fats, which are found in high amounts in animal fats, margarine, and many vegetable oils including corn, safflower, sunflower, palm, and peanut oils. Keep a fresh bag in your refrigerator and add to cereal, smoothies, sauces, and baked goods. Flax Seed is so good for smooth, young looking skin; have you ever noticed someone who eats salmon on a regular basis that is because of the anti-inflammatory effects of the omega-3’s (3). Wow! So if you are not one to eat fish, flax is your next best bet.  A wonderful product to try is Bob’s Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal which is available at your local grocery store.

Day 3: Tuesday

If you don’t already, start taking a daily multi-vitamin. There are many benefits to taking a daily multi-vitamin including boosting your overall body functioning and increasing energy.  Sometimes supplementation with specific nutrients may be more appropriate in order to address any individual specific needs. For example, CoQ10 is especially helpful for those at risk for heart disease, and Vitamins C and E, taken in combination to help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.(3)The B-complex component is a great way to increase energy and promote a healthy immune system (4). Remember to check with your physician to get a recommendation on the correct combination for you. Once you have clearance form your physician, go to your local health food store and ask for a recommendation from the staff because it can get overwhelming!

Day 4: Wednesday

Hump Day as it was called in my house. My dad would say “It’s hump day, we have made it half way through the week!” Sounds like a great day to swap out foods you already eat for healthier versions. What I mean by that is go thru your fridge and pantry and find the items that are available to in a more nutritious form. For example, your regular milk for one such as unsweetened, vanilla, almond milk is a great substitute because it has 0 grams of sugar; skim milk has up to 12 grams of sugar per serving. One more great idea is swapping out soda for natural spring water like Perrier. Did you know that Sprite has 44 grams or 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving (4)? For most American women, the recommendation is no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons (5). Perrier has no sugar. So you can add fresh fruit slices for a little extra flavor or add some grape juice for a refreshing spritzer.

Day 5: Thursday

Beans!

Beans are something that a lot of people I encounter are a little wary on. It is always fun to try new things and by adding beans into your diet you can improve digestion and add high level of protein to your meals. Different beans come with different benefits, for instance black beans are rich in anthocyancins, a powerful antioxidant. Garbanzo beans have been found to lower HDL (bad) cholesterol. Pinto beans have been shown to stabilize blood sugar, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes (6).

Day 6: Friday

Friday, my favorite day of the week! For the past 6 years Friday nights has been family movie night at our house. I make my own pizza dough to top with everyone’s favorite toppings. I have tried many different doughs, but this recipe has been the best.

2 ¼ cups flour

1Tbsp. Flax Seeds – you need those Omega-3’s

1Pkg fast rising yeast

1tsp. sea salt

Mix together in a standing mixer. Add almost 1 cup hot water and let mixer go on level 2 until a somewhat sticky, but bonded consistency.  Take out the dough and pour in 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and put the dough back in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm space for at least 1 hour. Once the dough is ready you can roll out and on a pizza stone and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and spread with your favorite sauce and toppings. Remember all of the veggies you cleaned and cut on Sunday? Now is another great time to use them. Bake again for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Day 7: Saturday

Quinoa! (Keen-wah)

Take this day and find a meal you would normally make with rice and instead make with quinoa. This excellent super food will become a staple in your weekly cooking, I know it. Not only is it incredibly fast (5 minutes), but when I called it a super food, I meant it. It is the only whole grain food that has all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. Yay! Remember don’t be afraid of carbohydrates because that is where we get our energy. Quinoa is an excellent choice for all, but especially for vegan or vegetarians because of its high level of adequate protein content. Also, during my research I found one more wonderful thing about quinoa, it is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus which may be helpful for people with migraine headaches and diabetes (5).

So, 1 week down and a lifetime of healthy habits to come! This list is just a tid-bit of what a healthier lifestyle can be like. I purposely make this into a day by day approach because change can be overwhelming. Finding a new and different way to take care of yourself and the ones you care about can be extremely rewarding – enjoy life!

About Julia Morrow, Certified Personal Fitness Trainer in Antioch, Illinois
 Julia is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and Specialist in Performance Nutrition (SPN) from the International Sports Sciences Association, in Antioch, Illinois. She served as a fitness instructor at the Romeo Parks and Recreation (Illinois) specializing in strength and fitness.  She specializes in General Fitness and General Nutrition. To inquire about writing assignments, fitness or general consultations, Julia can be contacted here.

References:

(1)  United State Department of Agriculture; Agriculture Marketing Service.  August 8, 2011. Retrieved on September 1, 2011.http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/farmersmarkets

(2)  http://www.healthandgoodness.com/article/vitamin-b-complex-and-health.html

(3)  Obikoya, George, M.D. The Benefits of Taking a Multi-Vitamin. Daily Multi-Vitamin – For Your Health. Retrieved on September 10, 2011 from:   http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/daily-multivitamin.html

(4)  Self magazine website. Nutrition Facts. Retrieved on  September 8, 2011 from:  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3870/2

(5)  American Heart Association.  Sugars and Carbohydrates.  October 12, 2010. Retrieved on September 8, 2011 from: http://www.heart.org

(6)  Sass, Cynthia R.D. Prevention Magazine. Healthy Eating: The many benefits of beans. February 2009. Retrieved on September 8, 2011 from:http://www.prevention.com/health/nutrition/smart-shopping/healthy-eating-the-many-health-benefits-of-beans/article/7aef06ef823d61

(7)  Matelihan, George. The Worlds Healthiest Foods. Retrieved on September 8, 2011 from: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81