Day 2 of 30: 10 TIPS FOR MEAL TIME

Day 2 of 30 
TIGHT BODY 30 DAY CHALLENGE!

Congratulations CHALLENGERS, you're on Day 2! I've gotten a lot of good feedback for Day 1. Great job everyone!!! Stay focused. For those of you who struggled a bit yesterday, know today is a new day. Hold your head up, be strong, secure your goals, plans, and stick with it, no matter what.

We talked about making your trip to the store productive yesterday. Today, we're going to look at some simple ways to get the most from your meals. It's not time consuming, nor is it expensive, it's just a matter of being consciously aware of what you're doing. These tips are to help you get the most from every bite, and nourish your body to it's fullest.

Keep in mind, if you've lived primarily off a refined foods (Dead food), diet previously, or take medications, or didn't drink much water prior to the CHALLENGE, you could find yourself DETOXING the first week. Natural foods, and plenty of water have a distinct way of nourishing, scrubbing, and pulling waste products back into play, to be eliminated. During this time, you could feel a bit tired, lay down and rest when you feel the need. You could have headaches, nothing too severe, I suggest riding it out, and continue flushing with plenty of water. You may find your moving your bowels more than usual, this is a good sign digestion and elimination are functioning properly. If you find you're constipated, be sure to include plenty of fibrous vegetable and fruits along with plenty of water to get things moving, as you need to eliminate the toxins, or you won't feel too well. Rest, flush with water, keep the bowels moving, and this stage will pass in about a week. Chances are, you'll find you begin sleeping better, skin looks healthier, hair in shinier, etc.  

10 TIPS FOR MEAL TIME

1. DRINK MINIMUM 8 OZ. 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO EACH MEAL

Water is necessary to aid in digestion, however, it’s best to drink it either before your meal or up to one hour after, so as not to interfere with digestion by ‘watering’ gastric juices down.

2. KEEP SNACKS MINIMAL (SMALL PROPORTIONS) AND HEALTHY

It’s fine to have snacks in between meals to keep your blood sugar levels normal, and maintain your energy level, just be sure not to eat too much, and lose your appetite for your main meals.

3. MAKE FRESH FOODS THE STAPLE OF EVERY MEAL

Be sure to fill your plate with plenty of fresh foods each meal. Loaded with plenty of vitamins and minerals, these foods will work wonders on your insides.

4. FILL YOUR PLATE WITH COLOR. CHOOSE A VARIETY OF FRESH.

Think ‘colorful’, as you prepare your meals. Look for red, orange, dark green, yellow, and perhaps some blue or purple fresh foods to assure you’re getting a broad spectrum of nutrients.

5. TAKE YOUR TIME EATING. ENJOY CONVERSATION / SURROUNDINGS.

Meal times are times to be enjoyed, not rushed. Eat in a relaxed environment, with good company, pleasant music, or go for the quiet outdoors. Whatever you choose, make it unrushed. Sit down, take your time, and enjoy. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal the brain it’s satisfied.

6. CHEW THOROUGHLY, PERHAPS 30 CHEWS PER BITE.

Let’s free up the workload on our digestive systems, by chewing thoroughly, every bite we put into our mouths. I always say, “Chew your liquids, drink your solids”.

7. EAT UNTIL YOU FEEL SATISFIED, NOT FULL. DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO FINISH EVERYTHING ON YOUR PLATE.

I recommend eating until you’re approximately 70% full, in other words, when you start to feel satisfied, it’s time to stop. Now, if you’re preparing for a marathon or other such event, you might need to eat to capacity either before or after your event, as these activities require a pool of nutrients and energy to pull from to sustain throughout the activity.

8. BRUSH YOUR TEETH AFTER EVERY MEAL AND/OR SNACK.

Keep your mouth clean and fresh. It will keep you from wanting to pick at anything knowing you’ve just brushed your teeth.

9. CLEAN UP DISHES ETC., IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH MEAL.

Be sure to keep things tidy. Enter your kitchen, prepare, relax and eat, and clean-up and leave when you are through. Who wants to look at dirty dishes anyway?

10. MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR

If you’ve got a family, be sure to get your kids involved in meal preparation and clean-up, not only does it teach them kitchen etiquette, and lighten your load, it also sparks their curiosity about different foods. Many children won’t touch a particular vegetable until they get to cut it up, then you find them nibbling as they cut. Another great way to get your kids involved is to give each of them an ‘area’ in your garden to prep the soil, choose what seeds they’d like to plant, and leave them in charge of watering, and weeding. I have yet to see a child not eat what they’ve worked so hard to grow.  

Have a wonderful day Team! 

Make it successful!!!