How to Color Code Your Menu

There you are at the food market, trying to put together a healthy diet for a week, which requires some forethought about what you’ll be in the mood for a few days from now. It also has you thinking about how much of something you might need to get the daily nutrition requiremets.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that difficult. The HEALTHY foods you eat every day – fruits and veggies, meats and meat substitutes, dairy products and good grains – all contain vital nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. And, some – particularly, those deeply colored fruits and veggies – are considered “superstas” in this area. In fact, your best bet is to think color!

The natural color of food is a reliable indicator of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it supplies. Here’s a quick snippit based on color:

Green - Those dark green veggies you eat like broccoli, spinach and sugar snap peas are high in vitamin C.

Red, yellow, orange – Fruits and vegetables of these colors, such as carrots, sweet peppers and sweet potatoes, are high in beta carotene or Vitamin A, and they can also be rich in vitamin C. 

White – White fruits and veggies, like mushrooms, potatoes and bananas, supply B vitamins and many minerals. White dairy products – milk, yogurt and cheese – provide ample amounts of calcium (and are usually fortified with vitamin D).

Purple – Purple or purplish-blue foods, like grapes and blueberries, are best known for their anti-cancer and heart-helping antioxidants. And, like most other fruits and veggies, they’re also high in vitamin C and fiber.

Brown – Brown foods in the form of nuts, seeds and grains supply E and B vitamins, which include folic acid. Brown and white foods like meat, fish, poultry, tofu and legumes are stand out sources of proteins and minerals like iron and zinc.

So, the more colors you toss into your basket, the better chance you have of meeting all of your nutritional needs. And remember that you don’t have to meet the daily requirement for every single nutrient every single day.

Committed to Your Success,

Your Coach, Mark

Source: Psychology Today/nutrition

Quote of the Week and the New Boot Camp Video

I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day weekend
and thank you to those of you who came out for
the  new Max Body Boot Camp Video!
 
On to the quote of the week…
 
“Fitness needs to be perceived as fun and games or
we subconsciously avoid it.” – Alan Thicke
 
There is no better quote that describes boot camp
than this one.
 
Sure it’s tough at times but working out with your
friends and others with the same goals as you is a
great way to keep your focus off the hurt and on the
fun.
 
Have a healthy day,
 
Your Coach, Mark
714-232-9115
mark@hbpersonaltrainer.com
www.HBFitnessCamp.com

Celebrate a Healthy Cinco de Mayo!

Hey Boot Campers,

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the 5th of May) is here and I know many people are planning to partake in this Mexican holiday.  Depending on how you celebrate this holiday I know a lot of fun, music, food, and alcohol are involved. This year I want to give you some simple tips to keep in mind to have a healthier Cinco de Mayo celebration.

• Remember Mexican food with vegetables, seafood, and fruit is healthy, light, and lower in calories.
• Make the food at home.  This way you can use lower fat products (2% milk cheeses) to help control calories and fat.
• Use more salsa the guacamole.
• Skip on the sour cream or use a lower-fat or non-fat sour cream.
• Choose fish or chicken in place of red meat or pork.
• Use brown rice instead of white rice.
• Cook with light olive oil instead of animal fats (butter or lard)
• Try corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
• Drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage (2 Max you’re in Boot Camp )

Remember these healthier tips and enjoy May 5!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Committed to Your Success,

Your Coach, Mark