Fit Fleet Monday, time once again to share as Marcus.

There I am at a family event, trying to eat healthy, or “clean” as is the trendy term nowadays. I’m fortunate in that my family has long since given up trying to convince me that one cheat meal is ok, just indulge, or how I eat is good enough. No, they are fully supportive, realizing my willpower has outlasted theirs. In fact, some of my friends and famly have even changed the foods they prepare at family events, making healthier dishes which I feel fantastic about.

Back to yesterday. Meals were finished, dessert was on the counter. Three different containers of ice cream, some rice pudding, and mango smush. Mango Smush is the official name now – perhaps it will become a Roc’s Recipe once all the white processed sugar is replaced with something I would actually recommend eating.

There I am at the kitchen table, with my mother-in-law, wife, and two sister-in-laws, as well as two of my sweet young nieces, who are face full of ice cream. I’m discussing how easy it is to buy good foods at the grocery store, referencing my old point of  “It’s in a box or bag, don’t eat it.” and “If you have to read what it’s in your food, don’t eat it.”

I happened to then use my niece’s ice cream as an example.

I got up and went to the freezer, pulling out the first tub of 100% Ontario Dairy Milk Ice Cream, butterscotch ripple flavour and asked my niece to read it. She said “Ice Cream”. I then pulled out the next container of Chocolate Frozen Dessert, frozen dessert in ridiculously small type in the corner and once again asked my niece to read it. “Chocolate Ice Cream” she pronounced triumphantly. I said nope, then sat down at the table with both and we read the ingredients together.

At the end of it, my young niece pushed her bowl of frozen dessert away, held her stomach and said “Uncle Marcus, you’ve ruined ice cream for me.” I smiled and offered her some nice anti-oxidant fruit. I then explained in child’s terms what anti-oxidants are, but that’s a tale for another day.

I’m still amazed at how ignorantly we just cram food stuffs into our body without any real thought as to what we’re putting into ourselves. I mean, the government wouldn’t allow us to eat something not good for us, right?

<PAUSE>

You know, the same government that allows most fast food chains to use the same material in shoe sole and yoga mats to be put into buns and bread so that it maintains its fluffiness … the same government that allows a surprisingly high number of bug parts and feces percentile into every food item manufactured in Canada … the same government … wait, I’ll stop; I don’t want to ruin ice cream for you too.

EATING CLEAN AND STAYING TRIM

Here’s my point for today really. It took me a while to get here.

Don’t worry about diets. Don’t worry about calories. Don’t worry about watching everything you eat. I’ve talked about this in my “Free Range Weight Loss” post.

If you want to eat healthy and stay healthy, follow these steps:

1. Always start a meal with a glass of water – You’ll stay hydrated and feel fuller instantly, which prevent you from overeating.
2. Have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert – Have a piece of dark chocolate (at least 85%) when you feel the need for sugar. You can save calories while having a healthy yet decadent treat.
3. Move more – Even if you’re exercising each day, try and burn a few extra calories by making an effort to move a little more during the day. Taking breaks to walk around the office, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator are all simple ways to up your calorie burn.
4. Don’t drink your calories – Sodas, morning juice, and alcoholic drinks are all full of calories which can really add up. Stick to water, green tea and fruit juices in order to save on important calories.
5. Don’t go hungry too long – A little hunger can be good for you, but starving yourself all day in order to binge eat at night is unhealthy. Eat your meals on time in order to avoid low blood sugar levels that cause you to crash.
6. Snack on high-protein, high-fiber foods – When it’s time to snack, steer clear of the high-calorie options like chips and crackers, and go for protein and fiber rich foods which taste good and fill you up too. You’ll be able to eat fewer calories while still feeling satisfied.
7. Eat a light, early dinner – Try to have a light dinner at least two to three hours before going to bed. Eating too much too late can cause digestion and sleep issues that make it hard to stick to a healthy routine.
8. Get more sleep – Lack of sleep can cause you to eat more throughout the day and not have enough energy for your workouts. So, as part of a healthy lifestyle, aim for at least seven hours of sleep every night.

Fly strong.