The Importance of Exercise for Mental Health

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 23:56:55 GMT

Holiday Health Tips From Natalie's Fitness Elements Garage

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:12:13 GMT

Don't let all your hard work go to waist during the holidays

The holidays are filled with family, friends, delicious food, and beautiful memories. Our lifestyle changes entirely during the holiday season. They are, however, not necessarily consistent with a healthy way of life. When the holidays arrive, it's easy to fall off the wagon when it comes to our usual healthy eating and exercise routines.

It's no mystery that holiday living doesn't automatically equate to being healthy. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas dishes may deviate from our year-round diets and prevent us from sustainable weight loss. All those holiday gatherings, along with the stress that the holidays can take a toll on our general health from November to New Year's. This, however, does not have to be the case. Fortunately, with a few strategies and Goodyear personal trainer help, a healthy lifestyle can get maintained all year.

Consume Well-Balanced Meals

Healthy, well-balanced meals will keep you full, which is necessary to avoid harmful party food. According to a wellness coach, people believe that eating less throughout the day would help you conserve calories for a party, but this is a prescription for disaster. You can't expect the supernatural intervention to keep you in control if you go to a party hungry.

Before heading to a party, give yourself a chance to remain on track by eating well-balanced meals and a nutritious snack suggested by a female personal trainer. A lean protein, a fair bit of healthy fat, and fiber-rich carbs should make up a healthy, balanced diet.

Find Healthier Substitutes For your Favorite Foods

Healthy eating for lifestyle changes doesn't have to mean giving up your holiday favorites; all it takes is a few tweaks and a guide from a Goodyear personal trainer. Green bean casseroles may be made with less butter and bacon, deviled eggs can be made with yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and turkey can get baked rather than deep-fried. Using these easy strategies, you can keep all your favorite foods on your plate without extra calories.

Add Extra Veggies

It's tempting to go all out with our favorite dishes, but sometimes it's just a matter of stocking up on healthier options. Increase the amount of vegetable dishes on the dinner table by adding tiny variations to make them more interesting without becoming unhealthy. Roasted asparagus may be stunning on its own, and roasted carrots or sweet potatoes are flavorful and colorful.

If in doubt, start with vegetables, such as a salad before supper or a vegetable-based appetizer earlier in the day. This will ensure that everyone gets the veggies they need rather than stuffing up on buttery mashed potatoes.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

When you're just dehydrated, you may feel hungry. Consult your female personal trainer to figure out how many liters of water you should drink in a day. She will divide your body weight by half to get the number of fluid ounces you need. For example, if you wight 150 pounds, aim to drink 75 fluid ounces of water throughout the day.

Make Use of the Buddy System

You're more likely to succeed when you have a companion to help you achieve your sustainable weight loss objectives. Find a health buddy with similar weight-loss goals so you can stay motivated and accountable throughout the holidays. Make contact with friends, relatives, and coworkers to find someone who might be a suitable match.

Take a Walk

This time of year, you've got a lot on your plate, and physical exercise might get pushed aside. However, staying active is your secret holiday weapon; it may help you compensate for overeating and decrease stress during the most stressful time of the year. Get involved with friends and family, such as after a holiday dinner with a stroll.

Don't Skip Meals

If you miss a meal, you're virtually sure to sample the cookies your colleague brought. Eat a good meal within an hour or two of waking up, and then every four hours or so after that. If you have breakfast at 8:00 a.m., lunch should be about noon.

Eat a small, nutritious snack in between breakfast and lunch to keep you going. When it comes to lunchtime, this will reduce your chances of overeating or making bad choices. Between lunch and supper, repeat the process.

Prepare Ahead of Time

Preparing ahead of time might help you avoid gaining weight during the holidays. If you have gatherings planned, find out what dishes will get served or bring a dish of your own. Create a plan for what you'll eat and how much you'll consume ahead of time. For this purpose, consult your wellness coach. She will guide you better.

Get Some Good Sleep

Going out more and staying out later usually entails less sleep. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult to control blood sugar, and you'll eat more and prefer high-fat, high-sugar foods when you're sleep-deprived. Goodyear personal trainer suggests aiming for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to avoid mindless eating.

Make a line

Many individuals have an "I'll start tomorrow" mindset over the holiday season, leading to the continuation of unsafe practices. If you're serious about making sustainable weight loss, drawing a line, setting boundaries for yourself, lifestyle changes, and sticking to your food consumption objectives may be beneficial. It's OK to say no to meals and practices that aren't in line with your goals.

It's also crucial to realize that you're sure to make a mistake or two. When this occurs, people often forsake their ambitions. It's better to move on and make a better decision the next time you eat.

Make Mindful Eating a Habit

This tip is last on the list since practicing mindful eating might be challenging if you haven't previously mastered the other strategies. According to a wellness coach, Mindful eating teaches you to be more conscious of how much you're eating, how delicious the meal is, and whether or not you're genuinely hungry. Take the time to learn how to eat thoughtfully and use what you've learned.

The Bottom Line

It might be tough to eat wisely and remain healthy throughout the holiday, but it is not impossible. You'll be able to start the new year off strong by following some of the simple guidelines in this article to preserve your physical, mental health, and sustainable weight loss. Most importantly, keep in mind what the season is all about: enjoying and connecting with those you care about. It's simpler to focus less on the food when you concentrate on the pleasure.

Natalie's Fitness Elements Garage, your female personal trainer, is here to assist you in preserving your health and wellbeing during the holiday season. Natalie is a certified Master trainer and wellness coach who specializes in senior fitness and will assist you in finding a good health and lifestyle program in person or online.

Advice from Natalie, your health and lifestyle coach: Keeping You and Your Pet Active During COVID

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:54:04 GMT

It’s no surprise that COVID has had a universal effect on health and wellness, especially as gyms have either been shutdown or are operating at reduced capacities, or have been fluctuating between the two. One positive to come out of this though, has been the emphasis on trying to get outside for exercise, even if only for a walk around the neighborhood.

This situation has forced us to be flexible and adaptable when it comes to health and wellness, and Natalie’s Fitness Elements Garage has been innovating as well to provide online health coaching in addition to in-person sessions abiding by all regulatory guidance. Today, we have some advice on why getting outside can help keep you active during COVID while also benefiting your pet (if you have one!).

Outside Exercise Benefits Your Mind and Body

Even if you’re able to utilize a gym facility, or you’ve adapted to a home workout routine, exercising outside has many proven benefits for both the mind and body. Training at home is still better than nothing, but doesn’t offer certain benefits such as exposure to Vitamin D as well as increased levels of serotonin (which affects mood and sleep) that result from being exposed to sunlight.

Studies have also shown that the human brain can be more creative in new environments, especially outdoors. So if you’re thinking through something at work or looking for a solution to a problem, exercising outside might give your brain the creative boost it needs to come up with fresh ideas that can help you tackle whatever it is that’s on your mind.

Pets Need Outside Time, Too

When pets are cooped up inside, they tend to go a bit stir crazy, just like us humans do. And they often resort to frustrating behaviors such as digging holes outside, chewing furniture, and plenty of other things that you probably don’t want to deal with. That’s why it’s just as important to get your pet outside as well!

Getting outside for a walk or just to play around helps keep pets fit and healthy. For dogs especially, walks help them go to the bathroom regularly which in turn can ward off a host of digestive and circulatory problems. Plus, they get to bond with you more and the new sights and smells stimulate their brains as well as yours.

It’s easy to throw your hands up and throw your health and wellness to the wayside during these crazy times, but it’s more important than ever to resist that urge. Regular exercise is a proven first-line defense against illness and finding opportunities to get outside and exercise only maximizes those health benefits.

If you need help maintaining your health and wellness during COVID, Natalie’s Fitness Elements Garage is here to help! Natalie is a certified Master trainer who specializes in senior fitness and can help find a suitable health and lifestyle program for you either in person or virtually!