Di Lusso Deli Company

Five Easy Healthy-Lifestyle Eating Tips

Use these five tips as guidelines for changing some habits that might be detrimental to your health and weight-control goals. They’re easy, basic, and effective! You may wish to keep a journal as you progress. Soon these habits will be second nature.

1. Eat breakfast! Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, which becomes depleted overnight. When your body needs a refill and you don’t deliver, the metabolism slows down in an effort to reserve energy. Don’t skip lunch or dinner, either, for the very same reason. Your body will hang on to every ounce of stored fat if it thinks there’s nothing more coming its way.
2. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eat five or six small, nutritious meals a day and you may have more energy. You’ll also be less likely to overeat because you won’t get as hungry between meals. You’ll also boost your rate of calorie burn and absorb nutrients more efficiently.
3. Slow down, chew well. When you eat really fast, your brain never has time to get the signal that you’re no longer hungry! Take a small bite, and then set down your fork while you chew the bite completely. You’ll also enjoy your food more!
4. Enough with the junk food! Too much junk food simply gunks up your arteries, loads you up on calories, and offers almost zilch in the way of nutrition. Food is our fuel. Feed it “high-octane” choices like fruits, vegetables, lean protein like turkey and chicken, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and good fats such as nuts, olive oil, and avocados. Does this mean you can never again have dessert? Absolutely not! Remember, it’s all about balance and moderation.
5. Water, water, water. You wouldn’t put sugar in your car’s gas tank, right? Soda pop is replete with sugar, and if it’s your main source of hydration, you’re not doing yourself any favors. It’s water our bodies need—eight glasses a day at minimum. It helps curb your appetite, it aids in digestion, and it’s even good for your skin.

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Keep Your Metabolism Firing on all Cylinders

Protein is an essential nutrient that provides energy to cells and muscles. It also stabilizes blood sugar to keep your energy level on a more even keel, and it fills you up so you’re less likely to grab high-calorie snacks. Protein can be especially important if you work out—it helps repair the wear and tear our muscles sustain after a gig at the gym and helps sustain the metabolic boost exercise provides. According to the Institute of Medicine, non-pregnant women ages 19 – 70 should consume 46 grams of protein a day.

Source: Food & Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine

Try these protein-rich snacks:

• Wrap a cube of cheese with a slice of deli turkey
• Enjoy a hard-cooked egg along with slices of deli ham
• Fold a slice of deli roast beef and a slice of provolone cheese and place atop a whole-grain cracker
• Cheddar cheese, ham, and tart apple slices make a wonderful combination on a hearty rye cracker
• Spread low-fat cream cheese on slices of your favorite deli meat; roll up and enjoy

Fitness Basics: Do What Moves You!

We know, we know. An hour at the gym every day just isn’t realistic for most of us. But there are lots of ways to up your fitness level without a health club membership. And when you do hit the gym, follow the guidelines below for max benefit.

Things you can do away from the gym:

• Step it up. Walk more by taking the stairs instead of the elevator; choose a parking spot that’s a little further, not closer; walk to a co-worker’s desk instead of calling or e-mailing; walk around the block at lunchtime.
• Use resistance. Try simple resistance, or isometric, movements such as contracting your abs while waiting in traffic or sitting at your desk. You might also try lifting each leg, one at a time, so that it is horizontal to the floor when you’re sitting. Don’t lock your knee. Hold and slowly release; repeat. Work your arms by sitting upright in your chair and grasping your hands together in front of your chest. Press them together firmly and hold for 10 seconds, breathing throughout.
• Invest in some weights. Inexpensive 3 to 5 lb. weights can be used throughout the day in a variety of effective ways. Just holding them while you walk is a good start.
• Ride your bike! It’s as fun, freeing, and good for you as it was when you were 10!

At the gym, try a combination of these:

• A cardio routine—30 minutes, 5 days a week is ideal
• Weight training—20 minutes, twice a week is a great start
• Interval training—moderate-paced cardio interspersed with one-minute speed bursts
• Yoga—great for stress reduction, flexibility, and strength

Don’t forget to maximize your workouts by consuming some high-protein foods afterwards! And stay hydrated throughout your workout.

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