A Month of Daily Goals This Spring

By Body Zone Sports

1. Clean out the refrigerator and cabinets of all unhealthy, tempting foods
2. Drink water. Americans on average consume an additional 500 calories a day from beverages. If you replace your other drinks with water you’ll not only eliminate the additional calories but also fill the body with its much needed fluid of life, which is important for regulating temperature, metabolizing fat, and much more.
3. USDA MyPlate recommends that half of your plate be filled with fruits or vegetables. Beans are the perfect choice because they are high in fiber, which keeps you full longer, and are loaded with protein. Have at least 1 serving of beans today.
4. Cucumber is one of the best-known natural diuretics. It’s also naturally high in silicon and Sulphur, known for promoting healthy hair, skin, and nails. Snack on cucumber slices or add them to your sandwich and salad.
5. Replacing bad food with good is one step in the right direction. Snack on carrots and hummus instead of chips and dip.
6. Avoid white flour and processed grains for a healthier diet filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Use whole wheat bread or a whole wheat pita instead of white bread.
7. Busy day at work? Keep whole grain crackers, fruit, peanut butter, soup, or tuna in your desk for a quick healthy lunch.
8. Break for a mid-afternoon snack. It will curb your appetite and provide nutrition for your after-work walk or workout. This might be reduced fat peanut butter on a whole grain cracker, string cheese, fruit, or cottage cheese.
9. Before hitting the fridge, wait 10 minutes. Chances are that you are not that hungry as often people eat more out of boredom than hunger.
10. Try a real super food loaded with vitamins A, B1, B6, C, and E, manganese, iron, copper, calcium, fiber, and a whole host of other phytonutrients. Serve a simple kale salad, along with your main meal.
11. Studies show that tea, especially green tea, contains the antioxidant EGCG, which reduces the risk of most types of cancer, lowers cholesterol levels, and protects cardiovascular function. It’s also known to boost metabolic rate and speeds fax oxidation. Drink 3 cups of green tea today.
12. Sunday eggs with the family…fill your omelet with good-for-you vegetables like onions, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
13. Nuts are not fattening and are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and plant sterols, which lower LDL cholesterol. Have nuts as a snack today.
14. Pack a pita. Stuff a whole wheat pita with more vegetables such as lettuces, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and mushrooms, instead of meat and cheese.
15. Flaxseed is a potent source of heart healthy omega-3 fats. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flaxseed a day on your cereal or salad. Buy it pre-ground and keep it refrigerated.
16. Pineapple’s nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. In addition, its loaded with bromelain, which helps with protein digestion and reduces inflammation in the body. Add pineapple to your salad or smoothie; or try grilling it for a sweet and healthy dessert.
17. We all need an incentive to eat more vegetables. Green vegetables, like broccoli and spinach, provide health benefits, and people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are less likely to develop chronic disease. Have 2 servings of 2 different green vegetables.
18. Tomato’s lycopene protects you against many cancers and degenerative diseases. Tomatoes are also great for skin tone and texture. Enjoy a tomato, spinach, and lowfat mozzarella pizza, add extra tomatoes to your salad or omelet, or just eat them as it for a fresh accompaniment to any meal!
19. Sit down to eat. Your meals should be those moments in your day when you get to relax, even if just for a brief, few minutes. It’s better for digestion and stress control.
20. Hold the sugar! Today is the day that you get into the habit of eating foods without added sugar. Americans consume way more sweeteners than they actually need (2 to 3 pounds a week). Eliminating added sugar is a sure way of controlling this dangerous trend and your weight.
21. Blueberries are rich in some of the most potent oxidants—substances that protect the body against free radicals. They are also loaded with vitamins A, C, and E, manganese, and fiber. Add blueberries to your morning breakfast for a powerful start to your day.
22. Eat off of a plate. Never eat out of a box or a bag. You won’t know how much you have eaten until the container is empty.
23. Slow down and savor every bite. Research has shown that it can take 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you have reached satiety. So take your time and enjoy every delicious bite along the way.
24. Eating broth-based soups are a great way to curb your appetite and prevent overeating. Start a meal today with a bowl of broth-based soup.
25. Eat chocolate. Reward yourself with a piece of dark chocolate that is 70& cacao or more. It’s low in sugar and high in antioxidants.
26. If you are feeling down and lacking energy, eat more fruits, vegetables, and grain products. Fuel up with complex carbohydrates.
27. Cut back on unhealthy fats. Rather than frying meat, try baking, grilling, or broiling it instead for dinner tonight.
28. Cut the carbohydrates and use greens instead. Wrap spicy cooked beef or chicken with leafy greens. Try Chinese cabbage, bok choy, or butter lettuce.
29. Go raw. Raw foods are rich in enzymes. Add several servings of raw fruit and a big crunchy green salad to your diet every day.
30. Make snacks count. Think of snacks as mini-meals and pick healthy, hearty, sustaining snacks like a hard-boiled egg, sliced apples with almond butter, hummus with red peppers to dip, or a handful of nuts.
31. Berries are rich in healthy antioxidants, fresh or frozen. Scatter them on cereal and in salads; blend in smoothies; cook in baked oatmeal, or jazz up sparkling water by adding frozen berries in place of ice. Munch on berries today!