Congratulations to our Giveaway Winner
Kerry Arguijo
March is one of my most favorite months of the year because I get to celebrate two things: the birthdays of some very special people in my life, and one of my passions?nutrition! And since I am so passionate about nutrition, I?ve got some pretty cool stuff planned for this blog this month! It?s all a bit hush-hush, so you?ll have to check back often to see what?s going on, but I will tell you one thing: There will be a weekly giveaway! :-)? You in? Awesome! Let?s go!
Good nutrition is so important! When you fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods, you?ll feel great (both physically and mentally), accomplish more, and have an all-round healthier body. The reverse is also true?if junky, low nutritional value foods are your fuel of choice, you?ll feel lousy, get less done, and have health issues.
In order to be healthy, our bodies need the right combination of what I like to call the Fabulous Four: protein, carbs, healthy fats, and water. Here?s why they?re the foundation of good nutrition:
- Protein builds and maintains muscle, bone, skin, hair, and pretty much every other body part and tissue in your body. It?s so important for weight loss because muscle burns calories like an inferno, so the more muscle, the more calories burned! Protein also breaks down more slowly than carbs and fat, which burns even more calories and helps you feel fuller longer.
- Carbs are the preferred fuel source for your muscles and organs. They come in healthy versions (vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes), and not-so-healthy versions (cakes, cookies, soda, doughnuts, candy, and many processed foods). Healthy carbs are also crucial for burning calories, and since they break down more slowly than the not-so-healthy kind, they keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady, and your calorie burning furnace hot so it burns more calories!
- Healthy fats (unsaturated fats) eaten in moderation help the development and function of your eyes and brain and help prevent heart disease, stroke, depression, and arthritis. They also help keep your energy levels steady and keep you from feeling hungry.
- Water is an important ingredient in regulating your bodily functions (digestion, circulation, temperature, and many others), as well as keeping muscle fatigue at bay and for healthy skin. And an adequate water intake is imperative for losing weight! We recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces of water (150 lbs = 75 ounces, for example) every single day.
And since I want to help you have the best National Nutrition Month ever, here are some ideas to help you get started with your own celebration:
- Adopt one new healthy habit each week.
- Be adventurous! Try a new fruit or veggie.
- Host a healthy luncheon or dinner party.
- Try out a new recipe each week. Here are some of our favorites: Garlic Parmesan Chicken, Protein Waffles, Gluten-Free Pasta Perfection, and Sweet Potato Brownies.
- Make a weekly meal plan.
- Try out our Carb Cycling program!
What are you going to do to celebrate National Nutrition Month? Leave your ideas in the comments below and you could win a signed copy of Chris? book, Choose More, Lose More for Life!
?This giveaway is now over. A winner was chosen randomly and announced on Friday, March 7, 2014.
Let the celebration begin! 🙂
306 Responses
This month I am going to be 100% committed to my meal plans. I will plan them shop accordingly so that it really isn’t an option to fail.
Hopefully in March I can balance my diet a lot more with school. It can take over sometimes and totally forget to eat healthy, or eat for that matter! want to restock with nutritious goodies to keep me set!
Going to try and cook my meals and prepare what I can ahead of time
I am going to try to add more veggies to my eating. Try some yummy healthy desserts from your blog.
I am researching and learning more about foods that are good for me and not so good. I think if more people researched their food sources it would make their decision to eat more nutritious foods easier. I am switching my family over to more organic and natural foods. Also educating my family on healthy eating and living. Chris and Heidi you are both an inspiration to me!
Winning this book would be amazing, I read Chris’s first one and I know this one will definetly impress! For national nutrition month, I want to identify things that I’m lacking in my diet, and try to find foods more rich in those specific nutrients, and try to incorporate them into my diet!
Definitely more water, I will try the sweet potato brownies, eat more fruit and eliminate the not so healthy sweets. I love fish but get tired of the same recipe so I will try a new recipe. I need to keep up with my cardio and use my KettleBells more.
I’ve always struggle with food, but I know I can learn to substitute the bad for the better. This is my plan for National Nutrition Month. Thank you for the opportunity and Best of luck to all.
As the weather warms up I am going to start family walks in the evenings. I have 3 children and I want it to be second nature for them to be active.
I will be attending the open casting for extreme weight loss so I can learn from the best. Something that has helped me is slowly letting go of foods. This year is no pork, and I have been doing great, last year was soda, and I haven’t drank a sip of soda nor do I miss it. Some will say I am not trying hard enough but this is what helps me, and I’ve accomplished my goals on those. I’ve even quit smoking..been smoke free for 4 years. I am proud. There should be a book that will make someone slowly stop eating the most unhealthy things. Quitting soda I am sure has helped me a lot. Sometimes just telling someone ” no sweets” can become overn whelming. It be easier to just commit to never buying your favorite candy..once you go months with no candy bar..u see that you don’t miss it..and it feels good!!.
I’ve gotten sick a lot this year due to stress+not taking good care of myself as much, definetly want to change that and try new healthy snacks to grab instead of the junky stuff!