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Part of an overall health and wellness program is managing body weight and maintaining a healthy percentage of total lean body mass. To optimize your healthy body weight composition, we have some simple, yet effective eating tips that will enhance your wellness strategies.

1) A calorie is a calorie! Even though some foods are ‘empty’ calories offering little nutritional value, all foods contain calories, so manage your intake regardless of the quality of the food you eat:
*use smaller dishes to eat from so you avoid overloading your meals with excess calories
*drink water or herbal tea before a meal to help decrease the amount of time it takes to feel full
*load up on fiber rich foods like vegetables and whole grains as fiber also increases the feeling of fullness more readily

2) Eat smaller and more frequent meals Spreading out your food intake over several meals instead of the traditional three will allow you to manage digestive hormone cycles and maintain energy levels more effectively:
*eat your larger, more dense meals at breakfast and lunch, then tapper your meals at the end of the day with fewer carbohydrates (if you are going to eat a dessert, eat it midday so you have all day to burn it off!)
*snacks are critical as part of this multi-meal strategy. Snacks should be nutrient dense and clean.

3) Never leave the house without food-PERIOD! Going hungry while out and about will likely force you to eat a less-than-nutritious quick fix. Plan ahead and always keep and nutrient dense snack with you.

4) Avoid the ‘calorie’ reduced processed foods Products promoted as low in calories or low in fat often offer little value in supporting your weight management efforts:
*products that are ‘low fat’ are often filled with chemicals to enhance the flavor missing from the fat and these fats are often replaced with processed sugars-remember, fat is not always a bad thing
*products that are ‘low in calories’ are often super small in serving sizes that are unrealistic (that’s how the calories are reduced) or the calorie producing elements like fat and sugars are replaced with chemicals that are equally, or more, unhealthy

5) Increase your fiber intake with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains Fiber actually reduces the amount of fat and other food elements being absorbed by surrounding the food particles. The result is a portion of food is not digested and eliminated. Always optin for the salad instead of the fries. Order that sandwich with whole grain bread. Switch the potatoes for yams. Add some spinach to your pasta. Get creative with your fiber.

Have joy in eating and do it well. Dieting and calorie restriction is not effective and should be avoided. Eat for energy and invest in eating clean. Read food labels and educate yourself on healthy food options for every type of meal and snacks.

Happy Eating,
Kreg Weiss
My Yoga Online

Recommended Reading: Top Foods to Heal, Nourish, and Balance

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