- Eat Fruits & Vegetables
Breakfast should include at least one serving of fruit and water. Having a smoothie everyday for breakfast will help you increase your fruit intake. Berries are your best option.
Lunch should include a salad, a vegetable soup and a piece of washed organic fruit. Dinner should incorporate vegetables known to promote health and reduce cancer risk such as the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower).
Spices are important with turmeric, cumin, sage, ginger, garlic, and hot peppers all having established medical benefits. At all costs trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup should be banished. Alcohol and caffeine should be moderated. Green tea should be the stable drink along with filtered water.2. Make fitness a priority.
If you brush your teeth everyday, you can workout everyday. Without question we have become a sedentary society. We often sit for prolonged times at work, watching tv, riding public transportation, driving our car, etc… for long hours. It is important however to make fitness a priority. Usually early mornings are the best time, as the day gets busy. The same way we will not miss our favorite show (Real House Wives of Atlanta Dora), let’s have that same energy when it comes to our workout routines. Especially that class that everyone is raving about “The House Music Workout Party” Friday, doors open at 6:30pm or our Get In Formation Line Dancing Class. Click Here for Interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXwG1C_jgvg&t=1s) A minimum workout of 30 minutes, 4 to 5 days a week is important. This should rotate cardio training, weight training, and flexibility such as yoga.3. Get enough sleep.
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning, is try to go back to sleep. Perhaps the hardest aspect of good health is achieving at least 6 and preferably 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. Poor sleep may come from sleep apnea, late night eating and computer and TV stimulation, a bedroom not sufficiently dark, or, of course a baby Sameer A. The health benefits of adequate sleep on mental function, weight control, and overall wellness are great.4. Get supplements.
The modern American diet is calorie rich and nutrition poor. Much of this is processed foods and inadequate vegetables and fruits. Even for those choosing diets higher in nutrition dense foods such as vegetables and whole grains, the nutrients in soils in modern farming have dropped greatly and we are largely a country of overfed and undernourished people. Insist on natural based supplements.
Suggestions include:
- Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is not only important to bone healthy, but is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and is involved in brain function and cancer prevention. Blood levels should be checked (Vitamin D 25-OH) and most of us are low (usually below 30 ng/ml) and should be supplemented optimally to a level of 50-85 ng/ml. Doses of 2,000-6,000 IU of daily supplementation may be necessary to reach these blood levels.
- Probiotics. Our diets may be injurious to GI mucosa (dairy, gluten, alcohol, chemicals and pesticides). A leaky gut is now considered a factor in generation of diabetes, atherosclerosis and auto-immune diseases. Adding a probiotic of mixed flora is an easy addition and protection for the gut. Usually 10-20 billion colonies should be available in the daily probiotic supplement.
- Resveratrol: This polyphenol found in wine has been shown to effect the sirtuin family of longevity genes positively and mimics calorie restriction, a proven way to extend life. It is not possible to get adequate amounts from a glass of wine so a daily supplement of trans-resveratrol, in the range of 100-250 mg, is a reasonable addition.
- Omega 3 fatty acids: The data for the protective effects of omega 3 fatty acids on the vascular system and the brain are impressive. Good quality pharmaceutical grade supplements are available either from marine sources (salmon, sardine, krill) or plant based sources such as flaxseed, walnuts, and algae.
Siddiqu “The Personal Trainer” is a CPT, motivational speaker, author of How Are You Fat and Saved?! He is also the Co-creator of the House Music Workout Class and the exercise series “You Would Think I Invented Sweat” for booking information or more fitness tips visit our WEBSITE www.chicagofit4life.com