Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Probably not, given that 80% of people are dehydrated. If you wait until you are thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated. The body NEEDS water to function well. How much water is ideal? 1 quart for every 50 lbs. of body weight. That's 3-4 quarts of water per day for the majority of us. Always round up. Water makes up 60% of the human body. That’s 70% in the brain, 82% in the blood and 90% in the lungs. With such high ratios, the importance of drinking high quality water cannot be underestimated. Scientists report that a 2% reduction of water levels in the body can correspond to a loss of 20% in both physical and mental productivity. This is important because, the thirst reflex does not become active until the body has already reached a state of dehydration. Low energy, acne, wrinkles, fatigue, bad breath, headaches all can be signs of dehydration. Remember, don't leave the house without a bottle of water. You'll be a great model for your family & co-workers too!

What's Your Afternoon Pick-Me-Up?

Many people like to go to Starbucks for a little energy boost to carry them through until dinnertime. A plain coffee is one thing, but a vanilla soy latte or another sweet drink can lead to unnecessary weight gain. Did you know an additional 100 calories a day, leads to an extra 10 lbs. per year? An additional 300 calories a day, is an extra 30 lbs. per year! Know your nutrition! A Grande, Skim Vanilla Latte is 250 calories. A Tall Skim Mocha Frappuccino w/ whip is 280 calories! Check out more of your favorite drinks at: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_beverages.asp

Keep your energy up throughout the day by eating every 2-3 hours. Have a small, healthy snacks between meals, such as nuts & fruit. This can go a long way to keep your blood sugar even & avoid that late afternoon slump.
Examples of Healthy Snacks: (think, unprocessed!)
- 1/4 c. raw nuts (cashews, almonds & walnuts) and an apple
- 2 percent Fage yogurt w/ grapes
- 1 Tbs. natural peanut butter on one slice of whole wheat toast
- Grapes or Apple & 1 serving mozzarella string cheese
- Raw veggies & hummus or string cheese
Examples of Non-Healthy Snacks:
- chips
- crackers
- candy bars
- candy
- cereal/granola
- cereal/granola bars
- fruit juice/soda/Gatorade
- muffins
- sweetened yogurt

Look at ingredients and avoid:
- Sugar
- Enriched wheat flour
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- Aspartame
- High Fructose Corn Syrup

Shop ahead of time & be prepared when you leave the house w/ a lean protein & low-fat snack. Make it part of your routine! Planning + preparation = progress!

Sleep

Did you know you're at risk for weight gain if you're sleeping less than 7-8 hours a night? Sleep loss can increase hunger for more calorie dense, high carbohydrate foods. Ghrelin, Cortisol and Leptin are hormones that get disrupted from lack of sleep, and cause an increase appetite & promote fat storage. Sleep is very important to your overall health & wellness. Make it a priority to get to bed early!

Interval Training

Did you know interval training is one of the best ways to burn fat & improve your overall cardiovascular fitness? More studies are confirming this and athletes have know about it for decades. Short bursts of high-intensity exercise, followed by easy recovery, once or twice a week, will dramatically improve your endurance and your body's fat burning abilities. If you are a jogger, try adding 5-6, 30 second sprints on your next run. If you are a walker, try 30 seconds of super fast power walking or jogging, 5 or 6 times during your walk. Allow yourself time to catch your breath & recover before each set of intervals. After several weeks of interval training you'll end up burning more fat in your continuous cardio workouts and you'll improve your heart & lung capacity!