Meatless Monday

If you have eaten in a restaurant or a cafeteria, or even visited the doctor within the past two years you have probably seen many campaigns to stop eating meat on Monday’s. This campaign is called “Meatless Monday”. You may be thinking to yourself… “Okay, so if I don’t eat meat for one day, what good is that really going to do…?” Or, if you’re like me, my first thought was “How the heck do I even get my protein in then?! Guess they want us to carb load that day…”. I finally did some research to see what all the hype is about and the statistics were pretty shocking.

“People who eat fewer animal products have lower rates of obesity, dementia, arthritis, high blood pressure and other serious medical conditions. Nutrition experts worldwide are on board; the American Heart Association, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Kaiser Permanente are among the leading public health organizations that support reducing meat consumption to improve health and prevent disease.” – The Humane Society

So what can going meatless for one day do for you?

• Start out on a good foot. Typically we start everything on a Monday. We say that our diets start next Monday, or that on Monday we will start to get up at 5am, workout, eat a healthy breakfast, and conquer the world. Well… how many times have you fallen short of your “conquer the world starting Monday” promise? By going meatless on Monday’s you’re actually starting your week out on a positive start! Meatless Mondays are there to say, “Hey, lets have some veggies and a great salad with healthy fats, carbs, etc. and maybe an Iced tea with a lemon instead of our Coca Cola”. This isn’t meant to starve you and have you reaching in your pockets for vending machine money. Meatless Mondays make you think differently. It switches your mindset to having a healthy egg and veggie omelets for breakfast, fruits and veggies as snacks, and some great salads and vegetarian meals (listed at the end of this blog) for lunch and dinner.

• Great for your heart. Okay, so before I did any research on this I kept thinking to myself “I don’t eat red meat so I’m okay. I only like chicken, and that fat free, so it’s heart healthy, right?” Wrong. Although chicken is a great source of lean meats, it is always good to take a day or two off of eating meat. Cutting back on meat decreases your risk of heart disease, can lower cholesterol, and can decrease blood pressure. Studies have found that vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than omnivores. Studies have also shown that eating more leafy greens and less red meat can help you live longer.

• It reduces your environmental footprint. Have you ever taken an online quiz to see how large your footprint is? According to EarthDay.org it is a resource that measures how much biologically productive land and sea is used by a given population or activity, and compares this to how much land and sea is available. Basically, how “green” are you. Eating less meat makes you greener! Eating vegetarian, once a week, is using less oxygen and water to produce the meat you love to grill out!

• Lastly, going meatless is fun and easy! Make it something you look forward to. Try out a new recipe once a week! How fun would it be to skip the drive through on Mondays (or any other day of the week if Monday won’t work for you) and stay at home to cook up something really nutritious with a loved one? You don’t have to eat tofu and rice every Monday in order to become vegetarian on Monday’s. Linked below are some really great Meatless Monday recipes!

Try it out, and I know you will not be disappointed. After all, what do you have to loose? Click here for more information and recipes! Give it a go J

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/

Simple Changes, Big Results!

Okay, so we all want that “quick fix” to get fit, right? There’s no denying in the fact of how nice it would be to have one simple solution to get rid of unwanted body fat and those awful pounds we all want to loose. But if there were such an easy way, then what would be the point of healthy food and fitness centers? We have to work hard to achieve our goals, obviously. But here are some very simple switches for a healthier and leaner lifestyle. You can start today you will already feel more energized and happier with yourself by next week! So lets start of with the first step…

Starting out…

So how exactly should you start? Do you go to the store and buy every single healthy thing you see on the shelf and eat it? Do you spend 2 hours a day at the gym sweating your butt off? No!

1. First set your goal and make it small. Why do you want to start becoming healthier? Do you want to loose weight? Gain muscle? Gain energy? Once you have the reason of why you want to start becoming healthier go from there.
2. How will you obtain it? Remember the saying “calories in does not equal calories out”. If you eat 500 calories worth of junk food do not think that burning 500 calories on the treadmill will compensate for it. All calories are different; try to eat 500 calories of fruits and veggies and whole grains vs. 500 calories of high sugar junk food. Back to obtaining your goals though.. How will you do it? Keep reading for simple switches you can make to help YOU obtain your personal goals.
3. Stay motivated! Get friends together on this. It is a great way to stay on track, have support, and even become closer as friends. This isn’t a race to see who can loose the most weight. This is a fun support group to help plan healthy meals together, people to go on walks with and help you through the time when you truly want to give up. After all, what are friends for?
4. Do not make excuses! Everyone can live a healthy lifestyle in his or her own way. If you are always at work, try to pre-pack your lunch with enough protein and fiber to help keep you full. Get a cute and fun water bottle that you can take with you to drink lots of green tea and water! Stretch every hour; even do a few desk exercises or yoga moves at your desk to get oxygen flowing! Too busy with the family? Take walks together, do family time at the park and stay active. Not only will you start being healthier, but you will introduce your children to a healthier lifestyle that will help better their lives Physical Activity will reduce your depression, help you think and sleep better, and most importantly improve your health.

Before you go on, here is a quick recap.

1.)  Set your goal. Start of small.

2.)  Figure out how you will obtain it; use the tips below to help you get started!

3.)  Stay motivated with family and friends.

4.)  Sneak in small exercises and stretches to prevent fatigue while at work, or even get people from work to do a 30-minute stretch session with you!

Now, here are some very simple switches you can make in your life to help you get started!

–       Greek yogurt for sour cream. Sour cream is always a must have for taco or burrito night. To get that same “must have” taste, add a scoop of plain Greek yogurt to add the protein and reduce the fat! Also, swap out plain yogurt for Greek yogurt! It offers about 2x the protein and half the sugar, with the same amount of calories, or even less in some cases. Not crazy about the taste? Get a flavored version or mix it into a smoothie!

–       Frozen grapes for Popsicles. Weird idea right?  Pre-wash your grapes and put them in individual Baggies. Stick them in the freezer overnight and the next day you will have your own bite-sized snack vs. a sugar filled Popsicle.

–       Oatmeal for sugary cereal. Admit it. No one actually measures out a serving of cereal to eat. Admit it, you have packed that bowl full of your favorite cereal and added all that milk to get the yummy taste that you love. But… are you actually full after that bowl of Frosted Cheerios (even though you thought they were healthy…?). Try to make some oatmeal and add in healthy fruit, some cinnamon, or even raisins to add the flavor you love. Oatmeal provides high levels of fiber, low levels of fat, and high levels of protein to help keep you fuller!

–       Lean meats for fatty ones. For a boost of protein when watching fat intake, go after lean meats like turkey and chicken over pork and beef. Buy fresh meats and try to grill or bake them. Frying chicken will add the calories and fats you don’t want. Instead of bacon in the morning try turkey sausage, or if bacon is a must have in your house you can switch it out for turkey bacon!

–       Food Prep on Sundays for the week instead of eating out. Fire up the grill or the oven, even the crock-pot! Make some chicken or turkey (lean meats) and freeze it for the week. Right there, you are cutting out the preservatives in the already frozen packs of meat and you know it is fresh lean meat. All you have to do is de-thaw the meat and add it to a salad, egg white omelet, or even use it as the main dish! Also, cut up all your veggies and fruit and put them away in organized containers. You are more likely to snack on the food you pre-made vs. having to wash the produce each time you eat. Make sure your fruits and veggies are always fresh vs. being frozen.

–       Add in vegetables whenever possible. Just like above, prep out your food for the week and add in your veggies! They are great in soups, casseroles, pizzas, smoothies, omelets, and sandwiches. If available, juicing veggies is also a great way to get in your veggie servings! Try to stray away from the high sugar “fruit and vegetable” drinks. More than likely you will be getting more sugar than you bargained for.

–       Choose lighter versions of your favorite coffee drinks. Starbucks Vanilla Latte is 250 calories alone, 6g of fat and 35g of sugar. A “Skinny” version (non-fat milk, sugar-free syrup, and no whip crème) is only 180 calories, 0g of fat and 16g of sugar) if you get a Starbucks drink Monday-Friday every week this will cut back 350 calories, 30g of fat, and 95g of sugar per week! Do the math yourself by looking up nutrition facts of your favorite drink from your coffee place you go to.

–       Yoga instead of Facebook. Got a spare 30 minutes? Instead of hoping on Facebook or Twitter, hop onto a yoga website and get some good yoga moves. This is a great way to get some stretching and exercise into your day. This also gets oxygen pumping into your body and makes you feel more alert and awake!

–       Self-love for self-criticism. Last but certainly not least (this may be the most important!) People often focus on their negative features rather than their positive features. Become aware of your thoughts and actions and take small simple steps to change it. Becoming healthier and more active with family and friends is a great place to start!

Intro!

Hey Guys! 

My name is Sammi and thanks for visiting my blog! You can come here to find healthy recipes, fitness advice, and fun easy to do exercises that I personally love! 

This blog is for the Average Joe who is interested in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle! Whether you haven't visited a gym in years, you just finished that 5k, or you are a weight lifting pro; you will find something great inside of Fresh And Fit In Cincy!

A little bit about me... I love anything and everything about health and fitness. I love to life heavy weights and I think it is so fun to spend the day cooking healthy food either for the week or just for dinner. I am not a certified nutritionist or personal trainer, but I am here to give you guys my favorite recipes, workouts, and tips! I have a genuine love for training, eating well and living well but for learning how to and applying the skills I learn into my own life. I have surrounded myself with like-minded people, which have opened so many doors for me. I hope that you enjoy this blog and get as much out of it as I do! 

Another side note- I am not sponsored by any product or company. Anything I post on here about a product is my genuine opinion!

Much Love!

Sammi