The journey to living a healthier lifestyle can be confusing, frustrating and at times seems written in a foreign language. There are baby steps that can be taken to move yourself in the right direction and ultimately your end goal.
•Eat breakfast. Ask anyone and they can tell you the most important meal of the day; however, over half of us do not eat breakfast. And no, coffee does not count as breakfast. Provide yourself even further benefit by having a high quality protein shake for breakfast. Simple, inexpensive and proven to increase metabolism by 25% but do a little research because not all protein shakes are created equal.
•Drink water. For some this is easier said than done. Pop, sugary drinks and coffee tend to be the drinks of choice. The transition can be difficult causing withdrawals and discomfort but with any positive change it will be worth it. If you struggle with drinking plain water try some of the zero calorie water flavor enhancers on the market. Mio, Dasani and many others now exist.
•Eat more frequently. Have a balanced meal every 3 hours. Your body will begin to trust that it will get fed more regularly and therefore boost metabolism. It will release stored body fat as fuel which translates into sustainable weight loss. 80% of fitness boils down to nutrition. Clean up your diet by removing all processed foods and replace with food closer to its natural state. The way it was intended to be eaten. Focus on a serving of lean protein (ex. Chicken, tilapia, pork tenderloin, etc), a serving of complex carbs (ex. Oatmeal, whole grain brown rice, sweet potato, etc) and unlimited vegetables.
Ingredients:
2lbs ground chicken (or turkey)
3 egg whites
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp no salt added steak spice
2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
1 small onion finely chopped
Cooking instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. They should be the size of a racquetball.
5. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.
Great with honey Dijon mustard. Freeze uncooked meatballs and cook from frozen for an easy meal any time!!