Health

One thing that’s common around the world is weight loss during your holiday season.

Let’s just be honest holiday seasons encourage overeating.

That’s why it’s a fact in most Western Societies we

”myself included” 

gain an average of 1 lb That’s 0.5 kilograms during our holiday season.

You might be saying that doesn’t seem like a lot.

Combine that with the excessive eating throughout the years.

 You will definitely see those pounds hang on.

That is the reason why holidays are a major contributor to weight gain.

But don’t be discouraged holiday weight gain is not something that you have to worry about if you remember

” Be Proactive Over Reactive”

So here are a few tips that I believe can help you avoid weight gain during the upcoming holiday season.

• For those chefs  that love to sample while they’re in the kitchen.

 this is for you

• Or if you like me and you like to breeze through the kitchen when your nose gets a smell of that irresistible food “you just want to walk through why no one’s looking and grab a handful and go”

Snacking

Excessive snacking will be to be the downfall to any good diet.

The easiest thing to find during the holiday season is a cake, a cookie, or a pie.

So be extra vigilant at those office parties and family get-togethers where pastries will be readily accessible.

The last thing you want to do is fall victim to that German chocolate cake that you love so much.

Find Time To Get Those Winks

Many people don’t understand that loss of sleep Is a common occurrence during the holiday season.

 Lack of sleep is a substantial factor in weight gain .

• Simply because people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be hungrier and eat a lot more calories, exercise a lot less. 
• Sleep deprivation may increase your  hormone levels,

            Which ultimately could lead you to having a higher calorie intake.

• Not getting enough sleep has also a direct link to Low metabolism, 

            Which intern can cause your body circadian rhythm

            ” Your internal clock regulates most of your body’s functions” 

            to alter

Be Active

Most western families Have made sitting in front of the couch and watching TVs holiday traditions

But this also can contribute to weight gain especially if you couple that with unhealthy eating habit

Between the shopping, the wrapping of gifts, and the cooking that all needs to be done.

You still have to find time to fit in physical activity. Get up, take the family out on a casual walk around. Try and get your mind off of the food.

Get some much needed exercise 

30 minutes of elevated heartbeat a day is always recommended

Laying Off Piling On

When you pile it on the plate you can also pile it on your waist .

We all know how easy it is to overload that plate.

 All that delicious food that you’ve been waiting all year round to taste, right in front of you.

Remember those who eat the largest portions tend to gain more weight than those who eat smaller portions.

Smaller Portions Are The Key

Sometimes it’s easier said than done so a little cheat that I use. get a smaller plate and get less space to pile stuff on.

That’s half the battle.

  There’s also checking food labels, to get your appropriate portion size, the recommended size that’s listed on the label.

 Either way it’s your choice ,My advice smaller plate

Pause The World And Enjoy The Meal

The world is so fast paced these days. 

We try to multitask and get everything done so quickly that we never take the time to enjoy our meals.

A study shows that people who are distracted are most likely to overeat. 

They’re unable to pay attention to the inner workings of their body telling them that they’re full.

So put your work to your side and power down those electronics 

just for a moment while you eat.

Try chewing slower and more thoroughly .

That will actually help you to better recognize your own body signal telling you that is full.

While helping you consume less calories .

This concept believe it or not it’s called mindful eating and study show that those who engage in mindful eating are less likely to gain weight

You can also take time before you eat to relax. take deep calming relaxing breaths That will help you to pay full attention to your dinner plate.

 Instead of all the things that you have to accomplish  on your to-do list

With the holiday season in full swing one thing that we all are aware of is that holiday season and weight gain are synonymous 

combine that with the growing number of Americans and our Global Citizens that have made the best of being at their homes due to the ongoing pandemic.

Most of us are aware that we have now converted our homes into schools’ offices and play spaces.

 With more time at home, more time to eat those delicious snacks that we so much enjoy.

Doesn’t take much for us to see where our problem is going to occur.

A lot of free time coupled with stress from being at home frustrated because we’re not able to go and do things that we want.

Pandemic Binging

 like with everything else we’ve been doing in this pandemic we’re binging.

•  binge watching our favorite shows

•  binge cooking our favorite meals

•  Binging our favorite past time activities whatever that might be

Holidays

If you’re like me this whole holiday season you’ve been scrolling the net looking for your favorite recipes and wondering what Meal are you going to do next. 

  I want to give you a few tips on how to eat healthy during the holidays.

•  Save money on meals .

•   Eat healthier.

•   Maintain that figure you’ve been working so hard to craft during this holiday season.

We are all approaching that time where there’s going to be a lot of leftovers in the refrigerator.

Along with many ideas of what exactly to do with them.

Meal prepping

Meal prepping around my household  is essential

 we’re all fairly aware of this concept but most of us don’t utilize it

Fairly simple

think ahead about what are all the options that you can make from a certain poultry, meat ,grain, or produce

 prepare those item and make 50% more because you’re going to use this same meal ingredient throughout the week for you meals

think about it that same ground turkey that you use in your tacos you can use on a variety of different meals throughout the week it’s not about Tuesday

  take the time to think ahead about your week. 

 Find different ways to use the same ingredients

“ This Idea is quite helpful during the pandemic knowing that many of us are on a budget, with a lot of us not knowing where that next paycheck is going to come from. We can’t afford to be wasteful”  Meal preparation and meal prepping is essential in the conservation of money.

Meal planning versus meal prepping

I always hear people putting these two subjects against each other. I believe that they coincide with each other. If you plan your food ahead of time then you are going to cut down the preparation time

Leftovers are not just leftovers, they are new ideas!

You might be thinking meal prepping is not for me.” that couldn’t be further from the truth”

 if you are a hard-working stay-at-home mother/father

A student that is tired of Top Ramen as your go-to meal

Someone that’s on the move and always trying to be more productive

Anyone who is just trying to eat healthy

Or someone just trying to save money

Most Americans spend an average 10 to $12 on Fast Food these days. Depending on your preferences that amount of money a year could be staggering .

 At home you can spend an average of $2 on a meal per serving saving you almost $10 on every meal you make

Before I discovered meal prepping I would spend an hour and a half every day cooking and preparing my meal

Now I spend a couple hours a week and I’m prepping for at least 20 plus meals breakfast lunch and dinner

It cuts down time and it saves me money.

All it takes is for you to think a little further ahead.

Some people shop monthly, some people Shop weekly .

Meal prepping makes whichever way you choose to shop much more manageable

No one likes to waste food or waste money

We’ve all had those days. you come home from work, tired, hungry with a meal in mind. You know that one you  wanted to create all week. You get home to find the food is not prepped.

“ so on top of your 12 hour shift at work some days you have to spend another hour or so prepping for this meal”

  you give up, go get fast food ,call it a day, Just another link in the unhealthy chain of your lifestyle

I know this might sound over excessive but a good spreadsheet never hurt anyone.

Find your favorite recipes and try to find a way to work those recipes into your meals throughout the week. I’m pretty sure you can go online and find many simple ideas to help you plan ahead for your meals

Usually my meal prepping starts on the weekend I make my grocery list and think about all the different possibilities that I can use my bass product

I prefer a fresh breakfast.

I try to find a way to always incorporate the leftover chicken, for salads, fruits and assorted Meats to use later in another meal

Setting Your Pace

When it comes down to having an exercise routine consistency is always going to be the key. You can have all the best intentions and have no results. Why you might ask? Well, the facts are simple you come in over-enthused with an unrealistic goal. You set out to complete this goal in an unrealistic time and you burn yourself out. then you no longer want to exercise. You’ve defeated your purpose and you feel defeated.

The Key

My recommendation is always. When it’s something that you really want “consistency is the key” remain slow and steady. Set your pace, it’s not a competition. Figured what works for you and stay consistent.

Brisk Pace

From beginners to seriously committed athletes and trainers, I would recommend taking a brisk walk elevating your heartbeat for at least 30 minutes a day on a regular occasion. This will produce benefits if you stay with it on a regular basis. It’s like everything else when you get accustomed to this add more to your routine. “It’s like coffee stirred to taste” You feel that you can do more push yourself. 

Do More

Step It Up

When most people think of exercise, a picture of an oversized sweaty person, with a headband wearing a tank top comes to mind. While I can’t say that’s not the truth, is not always the case. There are many different ways to exercise. Believe it or not, some of your favorite things might just be an exercise. Some exercise that I come to enjoy. Such as mountain biking, dancing, gardening, and even some household chores. Remember it’s all about elevating your heartbeat, and getting out there and getting moving. A little info for me to you,” if you like it and you enjoy it it’s a good chance you’ll continue to do it”.

Reaping Your Rewards

Like anything when you stay consistent with something, you will see the benefits. Believe it or not, even if you’re not doing the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, and you’re doing 5 to 10 minutes, but you’re consistent. You will reap your benefits. The Center for Disease Control recommends for moderate-intensity physical activity “a person’s target heart rate should be 50% to 70% of their minimum heart rate”.

Different Kinds Of Activities

Aerobic Cardiovascular Activity

These are activities that really speed up your heart rate and your breathing such as cycling swimming running most of these fall into this category while these activities are considered strenuous, they are some of the best ways of elevating your heart rate.

Strength & Resistance

Either exercise that uses weights and body mass to help them produce the desired results, some of these exercises are ones such as:

• Pull-Ups

• Dips

• Push-Ups

These exercises are often used to build strength and muscle mass. Like everything else, I would recommend you to proceed with caution. There’s a lot of people with Injured themselves from improper weight usage. It’s not about hitting your max it’s about reps at least 10 sets 6 to 8 reps and when you feel you can do more add more it’s like, “Tim the tool man” all over again. More power now. I kid, but I’m serious.

“From me to you I know it’s hard looking around in the gym at all those muscle-bound guys, pretty women improving themselves. Here you are wanting to start somewhere. You are looking around hearing the sounds of Weights clinking, grants, and you thinking” this is not the place for me “I don’t belong here”

You’re wrong! that Gym is an all-inclusive space. It was made for people like you. If you want to improve yourself that is the best place to do it. Go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. You shine like you want to shine, and don’t stop until the world sees you.

Stretch to flex

Words of caution

Words of caution stretching and warming up or not synonyms when you did the one you did not do the other take at least 5 to 10 minutes before your workout and stretch injuries can be prevented remember to be proactive, not reactive. When you’re done stretching move slowly into your exercise and accelerate. Until reaching your Peak. 30 to 45-minute. Whatever is your goal.

Smooth 101

We at TriLyfe do not believe that it is possible to talk about proteins without talking about all the different types of protein as well as the different Fruits that you can find.

  Most people are well aware that

• Nuts

• Berries

• Flax seeds

• Cashews

• Pecans

• Peanuts

• & Almonds

These different types of protein can add a great flavor to your shakes. Probably not the best taste for everyone. That’s up to you, and your preference.

Smooth Base

Behind every great smoothie or protein shake, there are fruits and ice playing an essential role in the background. If smoothies were a Motion Pictures then the ice and the fruit would have to get the best supporting actor in the health/fitness drama.

I know it might sound over-dramatic but try to make a smoothie with ice, no fruit, no blender. We would be better off going back to the ice age. Where we could start stepping on our ice in big buckets.

 If that doesn’t sound like a good idea to you, we might be on the same page.

So I’m going to show you which fruits and vegetables taste great in smoothies. Along with some other protein-rich foods that you can pack inside of your smoothies and really give it that kick. These combos are sure to get you up & out. With the fuel that you need to perform the task on your agenda.

Fruits

• Kiwi (1 cup)-2g protein
• Guava (1 cup)-4g Protein
• Blackberries (1 cup)-2g protein
• Avocado (1 med avocado)-2g protein

 Protein Enriched Seeds

• Hemp seeds (1 tablespoon)-2g Protein
• Flax seeds(1 tablespoon)2-g protein
• Chia seeds (1 tablespoon)-3g protein
• Pepitas (1 tablespoon)3g-protein

Veggies

• Kale (1 cup) -3g protein
• Spinach (1 cup)-5g protein
• Cauliflower (1 cup )-2g protein
• Sweet Potato (½ cup, mashed)-2.5g protein

Fruit To Ice Ratio

 This might seem unimportant. If you get this wrong, you will go from having a fruit smoothie to fruit puree.

So remember you want to have a balanced fruit and I would start off with around 1 cup of ice 1 cup of frozen fruit.

Pay attention to the fill line that mess you make you will have to clean up.

 If we’re talking about preference, I must admit I am a banana strawberry, and kiwi type of dude. Once again that’s up to you.

So after you gather your fruit /vegetables, your ice of course your blender.

 If we made it this far and I’ve forgotten to mention a blender in order for you to make a protein shake I apologize sincerely. I’ve gotten off course ladies and gentlemen.

In order to make a smoothie you need a blender

my favorite happens to be a ninja

Once again I’m not trying to sell you anything just trying to show you what you will need to find 

Next, you’ll need to figure out exactly what your craving for your protein shake is today.

Usually, I go with a few different types of protein and protein sources.

For example, you can use protein powder and chia/flax seed maybe even a tablespoon of nut butter depending on what you craving at that moment.

I have to mention this because there are people out there who do use sweeteners in their protein shake. Depending on what base you are choosing, and what protein powder to use. Personally I do not recommend it.

Now it’s time to add in your liquids let’s start with about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cups of liquid

• Fruits

• Fruit Juices

• Juice Concentrate

we can add more here and there for the density remember there’s nothing worse than a runny protein shake.

This like most things inside your protein shake could be fit to preference

Blended to perfection

Now all this would be to no avail if you had a crappy blender. In my studious voice. “The culmination of a perfectly well Blended protein-enriched flavor full smoothie can only be obtained by having a quality blender”

This like most things can be tailored to fit your price range and budget. While I have a few recommendations

I personally enjoy my ninja

Blenders can range anywhere between a high range of usually from $60, anywhere up to $400+

My whole life… I’ve been hearing This absurd analogy, “that goes you play the cards that you’re dealt”

Truly If your life was a card game, and the winnings were all fictional, then you could possibly subscribe to that notion. At no time in life will that ever be the case. If you were dealt bad cards'” hypothetically” and this was a card game.

“if we talking car games, I’m assuming we’re playing poker”

You deal bad cards too.

I might pay to see the flop. I’ll think about seeing the turn. I won’t be there for the river.

So I say this.

“In life, if you’re dealt bad cards do not invest in that hand. You simply invest in yourself, until you get a better hand. When you get a good hand, go all in. Try not to let the next person Poker Face you. You shouldn’t let the next person bluff you.know without a shadow of a doubt that your cards are the best cards ever, why? because you were patient enough to wait for a hand that suited you to play it