Fitness Program

The following article is a small excerpt from one of my books.  I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.

You know that a balanced nutritious meal is important, however sometimes you get too busy during the day to make sure you get the proper nutritional elements that your body needs. Here are some quick and simple ideas that may help.

1. If you make spaghetti and are using sauce for a bottle or can, you can add carbohydrate rich vegetables like squash, beans, peas or broccoli. Simply chop the vegetables, cook them quickly in the microwave and then mix them in with the bottled or canned sauce.
2. If you don’t like vegetables in your spaghetti sauce, you can try grating two carrots, and then mixing it in with the sauce. You’ll get twice your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Beta carotene and also add 4.6 grams of Fibre.
3. You can boost your Fibre intake by 6.4 grams by using whole wheat pasta for spaghetti instead of the low fibre white flour kind.
4. When making Chilli you can Raise your Fibre and carbohydrate intake and lower your fat intake by simply cutting your beef intake in half and substituting with Red Kidney Beans.
5. You can cut your cholesterol intake when making an omelette by using two egg whites with two whole eggs. You can also give your omelette a boost by adding potatoes, mushrooms or peppers.
6. Make a leaner meat stew by using chicken instead of Beef
7. When eating Pizza, top it off with Vitamins by using broccoli, green or red peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower or Tomatoes. You can also save about 7.6 grams of fat in just two slices by leaving off the pepperoni.
8. When making macaroni and cheese, make sure you choose a low fat cheddar. You may also want to spread a quarter of a cup of wheat germ on top before baking. This will give you 50 percent of the RDA of folate, a B vitamin and 40 percent of your RDA of Vitamin E.
9. Make better salad bar choices by using dark leafy vegetables like Romaine, Red Tip or Spinach. Ice berg lettuce has basically no nutritional value. You can also sprinkle raisins on top for Fibre and shredded cabbage will add not only Fibre and Vitamin C. By adding sesame seeds, nuts or mushrooms, you’ll be adding copper, an important nutrient in keeping bones, skin and tendons healthy.
10. Popcorn is one the healthiest snacks you can eat. A handful of air popped popcorn contains just six calories and is a good source of B vitamins and Fibre.
11. Choose fish instead of meat when having a barbecue. Fish is a good source of protein and contains magnesium, B vitamins and Potassium.
12. If it’s a burger you crave, try a turkey burger. Buy a Turkey tenderloin, the leanest part of the Turkey and grill it on your B.B.Q.
13. Instead of Apple Pie, try Apple Crisp. You’ll lose almost all of the fat and gain cholesterol lowering Oats.
14. Mix two tablespoons of nonfat dairy milk into an eight-ounce glass of milk. This will double your calcium and protein intake without adding Fat.
15. You can add Beans or crushed Tomatoes to Prepared or canned soups. You can also increase your Fibre by adding Barley to Vegetable soup.
16. Use Fruit spreads on your toast instead of Butter. Apple Butter spread offers 38 milligrams of Potassium per tablespoon and almost no Fat.
17. Try using frozen melon balls instead of ice cube in Fruit drinks. A half cup of honey dew melon for example will add 230 milligrams of potassium and lots of Vitamin C.
18. If you can cook soups and stews the day before, you can cut the Fat by chilling them overnight. In the morning, simply skim the fat off the top before serving.
19. For more Fibre, eat fruits and vegetables with their skins and peels.
20. If you are breading chicken breasts, use bran cereal to add fibre.
21. To increase your Beta-Carotene, add fresh parsley to stews, soups and sauces.
22. Frozen corn can be added to almost any meal. By adding half a cup of corn into any meal you will receive 17 grams of carbohydrates and three grams of fibre.
23. You can raise your calcium level by sprinkling skim-milk powder into mashed potatoes, gravies or sauces.
24. Avoid Granola. The majority of granola on the market contains as much as 27 grams of fat per serving. Also a bran muffin contains four to 12 grams of fat and up to 900 kcal., depending on size. You may want to choose a Bagel which contains 1.4 grams of fat and 160 kcal.
25. Apples are a terrific source of Vitamin C and Fibre but be careful of Fruit Juices. Apple Juice for example can sometimes be nothing more than sugar water.
26. If you are a vegetarian, you should be careful do avoid deficiencies in iron, zinc and B12. These deficiencies can hamper your athletic performance.

I know you want to get in shape and look great.  Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !