Salsa and Soul Blog

We need fat in our diet but it should be good fat from proteins like nuts, range-feed chicken eggs, lean meats, and soy. Also include good mono-saturated and omega-3 essential fats found in canola oil, olive oil, flax seed, alvacado, walnuts and almonds.

Lift the corners of your mouth!

To tone use light resistance and more repetitions. To build muscle, use heavier weight and less repetitions.

For those of you that carry heavy briefcases and especially those carrying heavy purses and babies, often your tension is on the side with the extra weight. Start carrying weight on the opposite side to give the tight muscles some relief.

Doctors check your fasting blood sugar 2 hours after your last meal. If you have a fasting blood sugar number between 100-124, you are already considered pre-clinically diabetic, meaning you are at high risk of developing diabetes. At 125, you are officially diabetic. With the right program, those numbers can be reduced. Working the Healthy For Life systems I have can drastically reduce those numbers by attacking the root of the problem which is insulin resistance.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal is a good option for breakfast. (Yes, it is better than the 1-minute instant). Make a batch over the weekend, refrigerate, and portion each morning for a nutritional breakfast that can be heated in no time. Serve with your favorite fruit and you are off to a healthy start.

No Pain No Gain does not apply when your goal is to create a healthier lifestyle. When it comes to creating or restoring health, exercise should not be painful. If you cannot repeat the same thing you did the day before, you probably did to much.

Even if you don’t feel like moving, push past those thoughts and begin a moderate exercise program that could consist of simply walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Your body is longing for you to move. It will be so glad you did!

Preparing pasta al dente (firm to the bite) is a way to keep your blood sugar from spiking rapidly after eating it because it takes the body a longer time to digest the pasta. Of course, eating smaller portions is also highly recommended.

Be mindful of triggers during certain times of the day when you are more susceptible to eating unhealthy, often out of habit as opposed to being hungry. Late night snacking has become a symptom of insulin resistance. Try snacking on a vegetable platter or fruit tray, then work on eliminating snacking in the evenings.