Eat to Live - Not Live to Eat

Prepare your mind, body and kitchen and live the quality of life that YOU deserve. 
First off – let’s not use the word diet ever again.
"Die”t has the word die in it. Diet consists of some sort of deprivation that could lead to many health issues. Diets are unrealistic. They usually consist of unnatural eating patterns that CAN NOT be sustained. 
I like to refer to what people call diet as daily healthy nutrition. 

In other words, it is not something that you are on or off - it is the good choices that you make daily in order to fuel your body and mind. And they can be sustained - sometimes we just need a little guidance.
To start, remember that diet simply means daily intake, nothing more. Life is all about choices. Life is about living. You have the power in your mind and body to make the right nutritional choices. Learning the basics of nutrition will assist you in these choices. And along the way, you will learn to eat to live – not live to eat.
We must purge our kitchen from all unhealthy foods. Foods that make you feel sluggish, foods that cause inflammation, foods that cause havoc on your living organs, foods that will shorten your life. 
But, what are those foods? What are you putting into your body? 
Some of these foods are: white flour, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil. Also: Man-made foods. Foods with preservatives. 
​Foods that you don’t even know what the ingredients are.
Together we will take the necessary steps to clean up your gut, nourish your body with healthy/tasty food and implement exercise that is 'do'able for YOU.

Secondly, we must learn to eat proper portion sizes evenly THROUGH-OUT the day.
You wouldn’t let your gas tank go on empty or the levels in your car to go low.
That would cause your car to not work properly.
Same as your body – feed your body right in order for it to perform properly.
Basically, by following the Q2 method – it will guide you to a daily healthy nutritional lifestyle. 
Q2 = Quality and Quantity
Quality:
If it roams on the land, if it swims in the sea, if it grows on the earth or if you can pick it off the tree. 
Choose lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.
Omit or choose less frequently fatty proteins, unhealthy fats and simplex carbohydrates.
Quantity:
Watch your serving sizes. Read the labels and educate yourself. 
Stick close to single serving sizes at meal or snack time.
One Serving =
Vegetables, grains, cereal and pasta = ½ cup
1 piece of fruit
1 egg or 3 egg whites
Yogurt, cottage cheese = ½ cup
Nuts and seeds fit into the palm of your hand
Meat, fish, poultry is the size of your palm or size of a deck of cards
Lastly, hydrate. 
*Make water your choice of drink. Water flushes out your internal organs, aids in weight loss and balances metabolism. 
*Drink at least half of your body weight. (re: 150# = 75 oz.) 
*Limit coffee to one cup.
*Omit soft drinks. (Regular has a lot of sugar and diet has chemicals)
*Hot unsweetened tea provide antioxidants, aid in fighting viral and bacteria infections and a natural cleanser. 
*Lemon is also a natural cleanser. Add a slice of lemon to your water. You can also squeeze it on your salad and other foods. 
*Limes help burn fat. Use them in your beverages and meals.

Author:  Donna Fatigato, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist

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