Excuse me sir, what's that in your mouth? And ma'am, those long legs of yours, what can they do? Nutrition and fitness are the two main determinants of your health + wellness. What you eat and how much you move. Simple. But the reality is that improvements in nutrition and fitness are difficult to sustain. Sure, you can temporarily slim down by restricting carbs or tone your legs by cycling for your soul, but how can these improvements be both sustainable and effortless?
Whole plants
- Vegatables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
Before we talk solutions, let's understand failures. Dieting approaches nutrition with a negative lens. Don't eat this and definitely don't eat that. Should I write you a prescription for a muzzle? Or, perhaps a padlock for your freezer? It's a matter of time before dietary restriction backfires and you're elbows deep in a bucket of KFC. Wipe that barbecue mustache sauce from your face; let's explore a superior approach. I practice positive nutrition: focusing on what to eat, rather than on what to avoid. Vegetables. Vegetables should be the foundation of your dietary pyramid. Eat as many veggies as you can, I dare ya. The fresher the better. The greener the better. The rawer the better. After years of gustatory abuse, your taste buds may require a few weeks to appreciate the taste of vegetables. But worry not my nutritious friend! In no time you will be craving the crunch of fresh greens. As the focus shifts to what you should eat, you'll eat less and less of what you shouldn't eat (i.e. processed foods). Positive nutrition is the key to sustaining an ideal body weight.
You're a New Yorker and you're busy. You might not have time for the gym everyday, so how are you gonna keep it tight? Well, I have a solution: integrate physical activity into your day-to-day routine. Consider your typical day: Where do you go? How do you get there? What opportunities are there to increase your heart rate or engage your muscles? Consider Rebecca who lives in Chelsea on 16th & 10th and works in Hell's Kitchen 25 blocks North. Instead of Ubering both ways, what if she walked one way? 25 blocks = 1.25 miles = 125 calories. Over the course of a year, if Rebecca walked either to or from work, she would drop 7 pounds, plus get those legs on fleek. Now imagine the transformation if she walked both ways to work. You're welcome, Becca. Small changes can produce big results. I can identify the unique opportunities for fitness integration in your daily routine. Inactivity is a breeding ground for illness of the mind and body; keep active!
Behavior integration is the most effective approach to sustainable nutrition and fitness. A small amount of effort now will yield big health dividends over time. Future you thanks you. Make healthy living #sustainable and #effortless.