Liz Neporent’s The Ultimate Body: Ten Perfect Workouts for Women includes everything from cardio and weights to stretching, and insists on working all muscle groups for better overall tone and conditioning. Variety is the key. Mix and match aerobic exercise with anaerobic for a total body experience. And don’t forget the importance of low-impact classes and workouts such as swimming or yoga (although both of these can be high impact as well!).

 Adjusting your body to a variety of activities definitely has its benefits, according to Robyn Warsaw’s article, “Mixing it Up – Exercise Variety Keeps Your Body Going Strong“:

“There are some physiological benefits as well as psychological benefits of having variety in your exercise program,” says Barbara Bushman, Ph.D., FACSM, associate professor at Missouri State University’s Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and associate dean of the Graduate College, Southwest Missouri State University. “When you do the same type of exercise exclusively, your body builds certain specific strengths. By switching your activity mode, you broaden your physical abilities.”

Variety also keeps you from boredom, and keeps your mind alert to new rhythms and ways of doing different exercises.  

Whatever the case may be, do something. Anything. Physical exercise, no matter what it is, has payoffs. It keeps you younger, healthier and happier. 

Coming Up Next Week: Back to school for kids, but what about you? What will you do with all that free time?

People who lift weights, women in particular, do not get extremely muscular or bulky. Our bodies’ capacity for building muscle is limited to the amount of testosterone we have. And because women have more estrogen than testosterone, they cannot get bulky even if they lifted 100-pound weights every day. The exception, of course, is women and men who take steroids or other testosterone supplements.  

What does happen from lifting weights is body conditioning, toning, definition, a building of muscle mass (turning fat into muscle and thus becoming leaner), overall physical strength, stronger bones and endurance. And according to Medicinenet.com,                    

            “Research to date shows that resistance exercise [lifting weights] is associated with improvements in all of the following: muscular strength and endurance, functional capacity and ability (falling, climbing stairs), blood pressure, osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of muscle as we age), low back pain, insulin resistance and glucose metabolism, resting metabolic rate, body fat and psychological well-being.”  

Before you start, educate yourself. Find a plan online or sign up for a personal trainer at the gym. Make sure you start with lighter weights and build up to heavier ones. Muscles that are new to weight training respond well to light exercise, but it won’t last. You will need to upgrade to heavier weights to continue seeing and feeling results. For a really great weight-training guide online, visit the Weight Lifting—Resistance Exercise Plan here.  

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Four— Combining Cardio, Weights and Stretching

Cardiovascular exercise is the most important fitness program you can do in order to improve your overall fitness, increase your endurance and increase your blood circulation.  

Cardio conditioning is the most basic as well as most effective general fitness exercise regime to increase your general endurance targeting your lungs, heart and your whole cardio respiratory system. 

It not only increases your systemic and muscular function, it also enables you to tolerate any activity for longer periods of time.

Unfortunately, many of us are way below par when it comes to getting off the sofa and working out. But the truth is, if you don’t commit to some sort of cardio workout at least three to four times a week, you may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if your diet leaves little to be desired. An easy way to get started is to walk…

As reported in Prevention magazine, “Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost 5 times more belly fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week, even though both groups burned exactly the same number of calories (400) per workout. Those speed walking also dropped more than 2 inches from their waistlines, pared about 3 times more fat from their thighs, shed 4 times more total body fat, and lost almost 8 pounds over 16 weeks—all without dieting!”

A brisk walk of 25-30 minutes a day, three to four times a week, will do the trick. Don’t make excuses. If you have no walking paths in your ‘hood or live in a city or town that’s not conducive to walking, drive to a park, invest in a treadmill, join a gym or walk in place in front of the TV.

Make walking fun: Use a walking calculator to tell you how many calories you’ve burned. Put your iPod or MP3 player on your head and listen to your favorite tunes. Or better yet, set a goal. Prevention magazine offers these tips to walk off a size in four weeks. Whatever you do this week, make sure you add walking to your plan.

If you have any tips for walking or other cardio exercise, please add your comments below. 

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Three—Adding Weights to Your Exercise Routine

First, ask yourself a few questions:

• What are my goals for exercising?
• Am I trying to lose weight?
• Am I trying to maintain weight?
• Do I just want an exercise plan that keeps me in shape?

 Once you have an understanding of your fitness goals, take into consideration your age, weight, relative health, how you plan to exercise (Do you have a gym membership? Do you prefer watching exercise videos at home?) and finally, whether or not you may need to consult your physician before beginning. 

Next, write out the days of the week (all of them!). Taking into account your work schedule or when you may have free time, pencil in 30 minutes, three times a week to devote to your exercise plan. This is a start; you can always add more time to your schedule, depending on your level of desire. For me, I usually exercise for one hour, three to four days per week, and my plan consists of combining cardio workouts with weight training. 

This brings me to your final task. Remember, exercise can be low impact or high impact. It can be cardiovascular (when you increase your heart rate, burn calories and sweat), or it can be muscle building (when you shape and build muscle). Try to combine both cardiovascular with muscle building, sticking mostly with cardiovascular. Increasing your heart rate during exercise builds the heart muscle! Remember as well to add an extra five minutes of stretching afterwards. 

Now that you have your plan, make it a mandatory part of your schedule. Consider exercise to be essential to your lifestyle and the way you take care of yourself—just like brushing your teeth, showering, shaving and doing your hair. You make time for all those self-beautifying tasks. Make time for exercise too! 

Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week Two—Don’t Ask Questions, Just Get Up and Walk! 

Most “energy drinks” are stimulants made with high concentrations of caffeine and sugar; throw a few vitamins in the blend and advertisers have you believing you’re doing something good for your body. False. That combination, despite giving you a temporary boost, is not always safe, especially during exercise or taken in high doses. According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, some energy drinks contain “as much as 14 cans of Coca-Cola.”¹ And Liz Applegate, a sports nutritionist at the University of California at Davis, says that energy drinks are “a bad idea for athletes.” Furthermore, she states, “They should not be consumed during exercise, [as] they have caffeine and are too concentrated in sugar. That’s going to slow the body’s ability to absorb water.”²

 So, what’s a safer alternative to a good cup of joe or a mid-afternoon pig-out on sugar cookies? Here are five good substitutes: 

1. Exercise: Like it or not, exercise is your most direct route to pure, natural energy. That doesn’t have to mean a complete lifestyle overhaul. But it might mean making time for a daily, brisk walk or a bike ride (c’mon, you can’t spare ten minutes a day?). Don’t go for the quick fix. Don’t buy energy, work for it. The benefits are enormous: increased stamina and energy, enhanced self-esteem, and improved physical, mental and emotional well-being. It even boosts your sex life. Need I say more?
2. Remove caffeine from your diet completely: Caffeine is a paradox. The more energy it gives you, the more energy you ultimately lose. As an addictive substance, it causes depression, sleepiness and complete lack of energy if you don’t have it. (Ever run late for work and forget your morning cup of coffee? One word: headache.) The more you drink it, the more you need it. But when you remove it completely from your diet (give it a month to clear out of your system entirely), your body is able to revert to its natural state of homeostasis. If that sounds too hooey, it’s not. Your body seeks balance at all times. And when it’s off balance, it has to work extra hard to regain stability. Coffee, alcohol and drugs all change the chemical balance of your body. Remove them and your body is once again able to produce energy on its own. 
3. Sleep: Sleep-deprived people are energy-starved people. You can’t use food, coffee or energy drinks to compensate for lack of sleep. Sorry! Your body needs valuable repair time. The better your diet (i.e., the more raw foods you add to it), the less sleep you might need. But sleep, nonetheless, is essential for building energy. Do what you need to do. Take naps, look into all-natural sleep aids (not drugs; they will zap your energy), and learn calming techniques that aid nighttime sleep schedules.
4. Stretch: If a heavy-duty cardio workout isn’t your thing or if you need to keep exercise to low-impact workouts, add stretching to your routine instead. Stretching the muscles causes you to breathe deeply and brings oxygen to your brain. It also encourages oxygen to your muscles. More oxygen equals more natural energy!
5. Eat well: The less junk foods you eat, the less chance of experiencing the dreaded food coma 20 minutes after. Foods rich in protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats like omega-3s, help the body produce energy naturally. When added to your diet, they provide long-lasting energy. Perfect example: Athletes tend to eat pasta the night before a race, a small bowl of oatmeal the morning of, and a protein drink after, for recovery. Whole-grain pastas, for example, can easily be converted into energy by the body. And that beats any fake chemical drink that comes in a can.  

Other important tips for energy enhancement: 

• Drink lots of water: As reported in WebMd, “Sometimes, even slight dehydration can leave you feeling tired and lethargic,” says nutritionist Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD, an associate professor at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York and author of “The Uncle Sam Diet.” 
• Spend time with positive people: According to WebMd, “To increase the amount of energy in your life long-term, experts suggest surrounding yourself with positive people whenever possible.”  
• Supplement your diet: Magnesium, B-vitamins, omega-3s and Orosine are all-natural energy-enhancing nutrients, vitamins and minerals that should be added to your diet. Although they don’t work like a caffeine drink or stimulant, they do encourage the body to convert glucose (sugar) to energy.  

Coming up next week: A Day in the Life of a Health Nut: Is It for You?

2.  http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/diet.fitness/05/29/energy.drinks.02/

As unpleasant as getting older may seem, I think it’s important to respect your age and relearn your limitations. That’s not to say you have to walk instead of run! But it is to say that you need to be mindful of how to exercise safely for your age. So, here are a few tips for your age bracket: 

Ages 40-50
Remember that all exercise comes in degrees of effort: low impact (low effort), moderate impact (moderate effort, sweating, but not out of breath) and high impact (vigorous effort, sweating, hard to breathe (and say alphabet without gasping). While it’s true that most people ages 40-50 can safely exercise within all three of these ranges, it’s always best to know your limits, and consult a doctor beforehand. Years ago you ran marathons or went crazy at the gym. But now is the time to learn how to exercise safely instead of trying to recapture your youth. The more you learn, the safer you will be. 

Also, get a heart-rate monitor, which records your heart’s beats per minute and allows you to stay in a healthy aerobic zone or push your limits in an anaerobic-threshold zone. For example, I’m 40 and weigh 122 at 5’3.” I am also fairly athletic. The heart-rate monitor calculates this information and determines that my aerobic zone, which is about 70% to 80% of my individual maximum heart rate, is about 165. That means when my heart rate reaches 165 beats per minute, I am working out safely. If I go above that, I know to slow down if I do not want to knock myself out. If, however, I want to test my limits, the heart-rate monitor can tell me when I’ve hit my redline zone. I hit my redline zone for only a few minutes and then try to slow down. Redline zones are to be approached with caution and you should not be working in this zone for a long period of time. For more information on heart-rate monitor training, check out Sally Edwards’ The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook.

 Ages 50-60
If you haven’t exercised before, now is the time to start. However, don’t jump right into vigorous exercise. This may be dangerous. Begin first by consulting your doctor. You may even want to consult a trainer or physical therapist. Start slow, easing into exercise gradually. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, “If you have been inactive for years, you cannot run a marathon after two weeks of running. Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how long the intensity of your exercise.”

Also remember that to be healthy, you do not have to over-exert yourself. At this age, especially, it’s best to always remain in your aerobic zone when exercising, which means keep exercise to a moderate level. Strengthening the heart via cardio exercise, or strengthening the bones via lifting weights, does not have to be strenuous. The Illinois Department of Public Health also offers free facts for women’s wellness: five free tips to “sneak exercise into your day.”

Ages 60+
If you’ve exercised for most of your adult life, keep going! As we are learning, exercise at all ages is beneficial. According to Prevention Magazine, “Sedentary women over age 60 who did the same twice-weekly strength and cardio exercise program as women ages 18 to 35 boosted their aerobic endurance 20% more, providing additional oxygen to fuel calorie-burning muscle and lowering their heart disease risk. Plus, both groups gained strength at exactly the same rate, and the older women were no more likely to get injured.” 

However, if you’d like to begin an exercise plan, remember to start gradually and keep your exercise routines to low impact. Such a cardio workout is a great start, but remember to play it safe. Walk briskly instead of run. If you work out at the gym, try a step class on the floor first, before using the step. Take yoga classes or a low-impact aerobics class for beginners. One of the best cardio workouts for older adults is riding a bike—indoor or outdoor—or swimming, both of which provide less stress to the joints. 

A patient education booklet, developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, entitled A Healthy Lifestyle for Women 65 and Older, offers free health tips for elderly women. 

Exercise at any age is crucial to physical, mental and emotional well-being. In fact, it should be put on the list of human needs along with food, water, clothing and shelter. The trick is to be safe. Research a good exercise plan, consult your doctor and then put your body to the test! 

Coming up next week: Healthy Ways to Boost Your Energy (Hint: get rid of caffeine and other fake energy boosters)

1. 1. Eat well and hydrate often: Dr. Jack Manzella, clinical education director for the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Res-Q’s medical advisor, writes, “Adequate hydration on a daily basis is essential. One of the biggest mistakes I made early on in my [marathon] training was to only hydrate before exercising. Our bodies (especially the kidneys) require time to adjust to increase fluid intake. The more adequately hydrated the body is on a cellular level, the better the body’s ability to endure.” And that goes for proper nutrition as well. Eating natural, raw foods like fruits and vegetables, which are packed with enzymes and antioxidants, strengthens your body as opposed to weakening it. Processed foods (cakes, cookies, potato chips, even some energy bars, etc.) make the body work extra hard to a) figure out what the heck it’s digesting, and b) digest it. The digestive tract is not built to digest such “fake” foods, so over time, this taxes the digestive system and ultimately the whole body. The healthier you eat, the more your system is capable of performing at its best.
2. Don’t exercise every day: You don’t want to knock yourself out with strenuous cardiovascular activity for hours every day. In fact, over-exercising is not safe or productive. It’s dangerous. Top athletes realize this and train smart, in intervals. A healthy balance is best. For example, Dr. Jack recommends weight training as well as interval training: “Nothing burns calories longer than higher levels of muscle tone. Most exercise literature focuses on core strength trainingwith a heavy emphasis on weight lifting. Couple this with much more short bursts of high-intensity activities such as wind sprints, plyometrics, jumps, etc., and your ability to endure for longer and stronger periods of time will increase.”
3. Take vitamins: Some supplements that claim to “enhance energy” or “boost performance” are pure garbage. They are usually stimulant-based caffeine pills that will not only cause a crash after a few hours, but are simply bad for your body. Raw, antioxidant-rich natural foods are best. But I also believe in the power of a good vitamin, which can give you all essential vitamins and minerals and improve overall performance. Also, there now exist all-natural supplements that increase energy on a cellular level, as opposed to via the nervous system. Jennifer Lynn, Res-Q’s chief research consultant, writes, “Res-Q Orosine may help transfer oxygen from the blood to the heart. Additionally, it also helps to protect the heart when under stress, such as when it is being overworked from strenuous exercise or even high blood pressure.” Products like Res-Q Orosine, which are used by heart patients and athletes alike, can be a huge benefit to your body’s overall ability to perform.
4. Get a good night’s sleep: According to Dr. Jack, “Most high-performance endurance athletes schedule rest times as well as adequate sleep time. Without adequate time to allow for repair and rebuilding of the muscle tissue, the body may weaken and recurrently underperform. This leads to illness and injury.” So make sure you take rest and relaxation as seriously as you do your high-energy performance. In the end, you will see a difference.
5. Know your limits: One of the main causes of injury during training or exercising is overdoing it. Listen to your body. If you are dizzy or feel too uncomfortable (a little discomfort is necessary, but too much discomfort or pain means something is wrong), you need to stop and reassess what you’re doing. If you don’t yet know your limits (i.e., if unsure how hard you’re working) get a heart-rate monitor, which records your heart’s beats per minute and allows you to stay in a healthy aerobic zone or push your limits in an “anaerobic threshold” zone. For example, I’m 40 and weigh 122 at 5’3”. I am also fairly athletic. The heart-rate monitor calculates this information and determines that my aerobic zone, which is about 70% to 80% of my individual maximum heart rate, is about 165. That means when my heart rate reaches 165 (beats per minute) I am working out safely. If I go above that, I know to slow down if I do not want to knock myself out. If, however, I want to test my limits, the heart-rate monitor can tell me when I’ve hit my “redline” zone, which I hit for only a few minutes and then try to slow it down. Redline zones are to be approached with caution and you should not be working in this zone for a long period of time. For more information on heart-rate monitor training, check out Sally Edwards’ The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook.

 Coming up next week: Health and Romance: How Better Health and Well-being Affect Your Love Life. Or Is That Vice Versa? 

There’s an 87-year-old woman at my fitness club who takes the same cardio classes and weight classes that I take. She uses her own three and five pounds weights, she’s no taller than five feet and I’ve never met a human being more enthusiastic and energetic than she. One morning, I went up to her and asked, “How do you do it?” I wanted to know how she found the motivation and energy to come to such a strenuous fitness class every week when I was having such a hard time getting out of bed some mornings. Her answer still gives me chills and has greatly changed my perspective. She looked me right in the eyes, smiled at me and said, “Two reasons: I’m lucky and I’m grateful.” 

When it comes to fitness, or rather physical exercise, not many of us feel lucky or grateful. If anything, some of us may even resent the fact that we have to workout to the point of muscle aches and maximum exertion just to look and feel good. But when you suddenly consider the alternative of old age, it’s a heck of a lot easier to feel lucky and be grateful that you are still healthy and strong enough to be working out at all. That’s my first bit of advice for starting an exercise plan for getting in shape:

• Be grateful. Even if you are limited by a disability or feel as though you are presently too unhealthy to start more strenuous exercising, be grateful for what you can do. Start small and be sure to consult your doctor first before you begin a plan.  
• Design a workout plan. There are all sorts of exercise plans on the internet from beginner to advanced, including plans for men, women, weight-loss, pregnancy and so on. But for starters, make sure you find one that addresses all aspects of fitness: cardiovascular (running, biking, getting your heart rate up), strength training (lifting weights), and flexibility (stretching, yoga and pilates). Variety is the key! So try not to stick to one plan longer than three months. Change it up a bit. This forces your body to readapt to new movements and thus, keeps the body from falling into a comfort zone.
• Know the benefits. Exercise is a virtual panacea. And I’m not just talking about weight loss or increasing your energy for the sport of it. Michael R. Bracko, EdD, FACSM, chairman of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Consumer Information Committee, writes, “Exercise can literally cure diseases like some forms of heart disease. Exercise has been implicated in helping people prevent or recover from some forms of cancer. Exercise helps people with arthritis. Exercise helps people prevent and reverse depression.” See the value in exercise and appreciate its many benefits!
• Increase your stamina and endurance. Workout can be tough on anybody. When I first started working out I did so with a towel and a bottle of water. But as I became more aware of all the healthy products on the market for workout improvement, I found certain things essential. For one, I recognized that my heart could perform better when taking supplements that encouraged oxygen to the cells. Unlike stimulants, certain all-natural supplements work to create energy in your body in a safer, healthier way. I also “recovered” after a strenuous workout with a whey protein drink, with a bit of glutamine added for muscle repair. Know what’s on the market and what can safely and naturally aid your workout. And try to stay away from stimulants or sugar-high type supplements that tend to cause more damage than good.
• Be safe. As with anything, know your limits. If it’s been awhile since you’ve exercised, start with a low-impact exercise plan and build to a higher-impact. Expect your body to build endurance daily, but be patient with yourself. It takes up to three months to see serious results. Also, I strongly suggest that everyone get a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor can help you exercise within your “safety zone.” So many people knock themselves out, or go what’s called “anaerobic,” which means that oxygen is used up more quickly than the body is able to replenish, inside the working muscle. And while this is important for certain exercises like weigh lifting, individuals who are inexperienced tend to believe the anaerobic state is necessary for every cardio workout. This is untrue. Cardio workouts need to be aerobic. A heart rate monitor can definitely signal where you are in your zone and whether you are working out efficiently or inefficiently. For more information on heart rate monitor, try Polar.  Whatever precautions you take, remember the most important: listen to your body. Your body is a finely tuned instrument that knows exactly what it needs and what it doesn’t. Moreover, knowing your limits and what your body can and cannot handle, makes exercising a million times more proficient.  

Coming up next week: How changing your lifestyle can change your life. Res-Q Consultants offer tips on how to make the best choices when it comes to prevention and health.

So then, why and how do we change from “comfortable” to uncomfortable? How do we get off the proverbial sofa? The general equation on motivation is this:           

            When the pain and suffering of doing nothing outweighs the perceived pain and suffering of change,
we motivate  ourselves and thus, change our behavior.

 For example, we hit rock bottom.  Our behavior doesn’t make us feel “comfortable” anymore. We reach a weight we always swore we’d never reach. We start to look and feel badly about the way we wear our clothes, or our favorite jeans no longer fit. This dissonance and anxiety, if we’re lucky, causes us to suddenly become motivated to change.
 

But for many us, there is no “rock bottom,” or worse, we choose instead to rationalize our situation. We end up convincing ourselves that, “I didn’t want to fit into those jeans anyway,” or “I’m not the exercising type.” When that’s the case, motivation and the determination to change becomes obscure. As a last resort, we end up needing motivation to get motivated! I was this way for a very long time, until I realized a few tricks, tools and bits of wisdom that helped me kick start my life as an active, healthy woman who takes nutrition and exercise seriously. Motivation is key. But remember, it’s only part of the equation. As Helen Keller once wrote: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

• Your mind is your most powerful tool. And one of its functions is to motivate your body to do certain things that you might otherwise not want to do. Everyone has the ability to motivate himself or herself. It’s just a matter of channeling the right thoughts into your thinking. Earl Nightingale said, “The strangest secret is that we become what we think about, most of the time.” If we think we are incapable of getting fit, we will be incapable. If we think we are strong and able to handle distress, then we are strong and able to handle distress. When you think something over and over again, you literally brainwash yourself into believing a new truth. Take 20 minutes every day and meditate. It doesn’t have to be in the traditional sense with legs crossed, chanting “Om.” Just find a comfortable, quiet spot, and start to talk to yourself. Exercise your inner voice. Tell yourself you are worth a beautiful body. Tell yourself you are deeply committed to your health and well-being. Give yourself encouragement. “I can do this,” “I am strong,” “I am alive and healthy and motivated.” OK, so you might tell yourself little white lies here and there. But, that’s OK! Positive self-talk is a powerful tool. Use it frequently. To read more on positive thinking and self-talk visit the Mayo Clinic for great tips and advice.
• Just do it. Nike™ had it right when they came up with their “just do it” ad campaign. Well, the ad executives had it right, at least. But here’s the deal: getting up to go to the bathroom or to go to bed takes about the same amount of energy as getting up to turn on an exercise video. Thing is, once you’re standing in front of your flat screen, half the work of “getting you there” is over. Now, it’s just a matter of putting in the effort to follow along. If this doesn’t sound like fun, don’t give up! Try a gym or a fitness club. You may be the type that needs people around to help motivate you.
• Persevere. The first time you exercise will probably be stressful. The first day of your new diet will most likely leave you feeling hungry.  If it’s been awhile since you’ve lifted weights or taken a cardio class, your body may feel awkward. You may fumble, make mistakes or feel clumsy. If your digestive system is more accustomed to taking in breads or meats rather than a plate of leafy greens, you will notice a difference.  Change, whether good or bad, ALWAYS feels awkward at first. But if you remain committed to whatever activity you set out to accomplish, you will adapt! And you will definitely find it easier  to motivate yourself to get to a “Spin” class or choose humus over a hotdog.
• Get involved. The more you make healthy living part of your lifestyle the healthier you become. Read books and magazines on healthy eating, join a gym and socialize, become part of a bicycling group or simply try to meet other like-minded individuals who also aspire to healthier living. And if you are really ambitious, set a goal for yourself. Sign up for a 5K, a triathlon, a swim team or a healthy foods cook-off. Lastly, if you can’t afford to change your whole life around, subscribe to online blogs or forums about health and fitness. There are millions! I recommend About’s Calorie Count page, which lets you count all your calories and keep track of your meals for free, or myfitnesspal, which does much of the same thing, including keeping track of your workouts. Both are online “communities” which serve to motivate and inspire.

Coming up next week: Fitness: how you can start a physical activity program and stay active and fit for life.

For starters, remember that getting in shape takes brainpower, motivation and a pretty sturdy determination to be healthier. If that sounds like a lot, don’t fret. Start small. Building endurance for a healthier you takes time and patience. The three areas you need to focus on are nutrition, fitness and mind. We’ll address all three—but first, nutrition. 

What to Eat? 

These are simple truths: burn an equal amount of calories as you take in to maintain your weight, or burn more calories than you eat to lose weight. Easy, right? And yet most people find this excruciatingly difficult. That’s why healthy food and great nutrition are so important. The value of healthy eating is not only in the nutrition it gives your body and mind, but healthy foods generally contain fewer calories.

So, what foods are the most nutritious? There are lots. But here are a few quick recommendations that not only help keep you strong and healthy, but also aid in energy, weight loss and endurance so that getting in shape isn’t such a struggle.  

• Eat your veggies!They are the healthiest low-calorie, high-volume foods on the planet. Not to mention they’re good for you. Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, has written The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, one of my favorite books. If you want to know which is better for you, a tomato or a string bean, this book has it.
• Eat a diet rich in omega-3s. There’s no question anymore as to the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Women who added omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to their low-calorie diets lost more body-fat and inches off their hips.¹ The rewards your body, mind, skin, hair, nails, etc. reap are incalculable. Besides, I couldn’t work where I do without mentioning the awesome power of omega-3s. I am a believer.
• Eat less junk and stay away from bad fats. Plain and simple. Bad food slows you down, good food increases energy. Keep potato chips, sodas, cookies, crackers, etc. out of the house. Don’t bring them home. This way, if you need a candy-bar fix, you’ll have to run to the store. And hopefully, the thought of getting your shoes, coat, hat, gloves and scarf on, warming up the car and driving who knows where to buy a chocolate bar will deter you from leaving the comfort of your home where you can have a blueberry parfait instead. Junk food is poison. It has no nutritional value whatsoever. Try to limit it to three times a week.
• Add fiber to your diet. Fiber gets things moving. It works wonders for your digestive tract. And it’s a basic addition to any healthy diet. You need roughly 20 -30 grams of fiber every day to see benefits. And I strongly suggest “soluble” and “insoluble” fiber such as the kind found in psyllium seed husks, kelp, oats, wheat, barley, rye and fruit pectins, which are all excellent sources of soluble and insoluble fiber.
• Make better choices. You know what they are. If you’re out to lunch, choose something from the salad bar at the local grocery store instead of going to a fast-food drive-thru. If you want a late-night snack make it a bowl of cut-up apples mixed with dates and pistachios instead of a bag of cheese doodles. Have green tea instead of a soda. Better choices mean fewer calories and a healthier you.  

Coming up next week: Rethinking Motivation. One of the biggest impediments to getting in shape is loss of motivation and how to change the way we think about food and exercise.