Everyday Fitness

A fellow gym go-er once told me something that couldn't be more true:

Those numbers are by no means experimentally determined, but it does cast the proper focus your diet deserves. I won't roll out any cooking lessons just yet, because it's more important to address some of what we already eat.

Let's be honest, quick and convenient are key factors in what most people eat. That means fast food when you're on the go, or microwaved food at home. I think it's generally accepted we should reduce our intake of those sorts of things. However, fast food and microwaved dinners don't have to mean heart-attacks in a conveniently portable package. Choices in what you purchase makes all the difference. Since easy options like fast or microwaved food are part of today's reality, arming yourself with the proper knowledge is key.

• Fast food:
  There's more to fast food than greasy pizza or cheeseburgers and fries. There's no reason anyone should have to purchase these items; only excuses. In light of the obesity epidemic, there's been ample push for healthy options. Healthy items are out there, and many fast food joints actually have specific menus outlined for you.
  Another great place to inform yourself is the company's online nutritional information guide.
  
  Some things to watch out for are high sugar, salt, and calories from fat. Often enough, the culprits are just sauces and toppings; things you can ask to have reduced or held off completely. Some things you want to look for lots of are vitamins, which can be lacking in certain fast foods. Try asking for extra vegetables whenever possible to increase vitamin intake. Hell, even pizza can be done right using whole grain crust, cooked with low oil, then topped with partly skimmed cheese, lots of greens, and lean meats like chicken.
  
  
• Microwaved food:
  I picture the stereotypical student, bent over books with a coffee in one hand, pizza pocket in another, and a half-dozen empty bowls of Kraft Easy-Mac scattered around their desk. Once again, I'm happy about the push for healthier microwaved dinner options more recently. All it takes to eat easy and healthy at the same time is a little vigilance when grocery shopping. That means keeping an eye out for products labeled calorie wise, lean, light, or smart, and also checking nutrition labels to see if they live up to the name.
  
  Similar to fast foods, aim for choices with lower sugar, lower salt, lower calories from fat, and higher vitamins. While I'm on the topic of convenience; frozen vegetables get a bad rap, but in reality the flash freezing process preserves many of the important nutrients that decay over time in fresh vegetables. So if you don't like buying fruits and veggies because they spoil, by all means go the frozen route!
  

Cream of Chicken Soup (1 cup):                   Michelina's Chicken Caesar (per container):
240 calories                                                       260 calories
16g of fat                                                             3.5g of fat
1740g sodium                                                   690g sodium

By now I wanted to have a solid foundation laid down for all types of audiences, especially those who weren't familiar with this sort of lifestyle. From here on, you can look forward to more random thoughts and posts, or my rants on popular fitness topics in the media!
Stay active my friends.