Benefits of a Healthy Diet:

Eating a healthy diet improves the way your body functions, strengthens your immune system, increases energy, helps you loose weight, and can help prevent the risk of developing certain diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.  Many experts say that the best way to delay the natural aging process is to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants such as fresh fruits and vegetables, green tea, and other whole foods.  Foods that are anti-inflammatory, such as richly colored fruit and vegetables and cold-water fish, have also been found to slow aging at the cellular level.  If you work out and then chow down on a burger, fries, and a super-size soda you are filling up on saturated and trans-fatty acids, processed sugars and starches, and loads of free-radicals.  This can cause insulin levels to surge and trigger an anti-inflammatory response thereby speeding up the aging process.  Phytonutrients beat plastic surgery any day.  Eat a healthy diet and exercise the Five Star way and you are sure to look and feel better than ever!

General Guidelines for Healthy Eating:

Start with breakfast everyday - don't skip meals.  Plan your daily meals so that you don't end up skipping breakfast and loading up on calories in the evening.  This is what professional Sumo wrestlers do to bulk up - they eat the majority of their calories in the evening and go to sleep with full stomachs!

Eat more raw foods such as salads, vegetable juices, fruits, and raw nuts.  They are full of enzymes and vitamins that are often destroyed in the cooking process.  Its also very beneficial to eat organic foods whenever possible.  Organic foods are safer and free from toxic pesticides and studies have shown that many organic fruits and vegetables actually have higher levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients as compared to conventionally grown produce.

Avoid eating processed sugar and white flour products.  If you feel the need for a boost, reach for fresh fruit or a low-fat whole grain fruit-sweetened muffin instead of candy or cookies.  White sugar and other highly processed food products actually rob your body of energy rather than giving you a long term boost.

Drink plenty of water - at least eight eight ounce glasses per day.  Water not only keeps you properly hydrated, it is also important in assisting your body to metabolize fat.

The key to healthy eating is making small healthy choices throughout the day and becoming conscious of how you are feeling and what you are eating.  At Five Star Personal Training proper nutrition and physical fitness go hand in hand!