Galahad's

Here is where your journey begins... STOP!

 

     We all basically know the general foods that are bad for us, or at least the ones that are very bad. Well, don’t ingest them. Just stop. I’ll cover some of them n other pages, but first, the worst...

 

     The number one thing that most of us consume that we shouldn’t is soda. Coke, 7-Up, Crush, etc, is so bad for a person looking to lose weight. Just don’t drink them. Not even diet sodas. Yes, they are cold, crisp, refreshing and convenient, but there are many healthy alternatives out there. You should never drink soda, period.

 

     My first step towards getting fitter was cutting out all of the pop and Slurpees that I was drinking. At the time, that was basically all I was drinking. Without changing anything else, I lost about 20lbs.

What did I drink instead? Water. Lots of water.

 

     You should drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day and try to build up to about 3-4 litres a day. Yes, some of this water can be calculated with that obtained from other beverages, but you really should count water as water and everything else that you drink as something else. Additives to water, even healthy ones, can diminish the effect that its contained H2O has while going through your system.

 

     On top of your 2 litres of pure water a day, you can have and enjoy many other things to drink.

 

     If you’re looking for something with flavor and that’s cold and refreshing, reach for some flavored vitamin water that either has no calories or one that is low on them.

 

     Be careful not to be fooled into assuming something is healthy for you because of its name, advertisements and claims. Check the labels to learn what they contain. Many people think Fruitopia is a healthier alternative to soda. However, some flavors contain more sugar than Coke and most are at par with it. Be wary because companies do try to trick their consumers.

 

     You can drink pure fruit juices, but do not go overboard as these are full of sugar and calories. Even natural sugars are not good for you in excess. There is more concentrated sugar per volume in liquid fruit juice than there is in its solid counterpart. Getting the nutrition that you need from fruit is best obtained by eating the fruit itself or by blending the whole fruit into your own smoothie.

 

     Vegetable juice can also be another alternative, but watch for the sodium content. Keep it low. Another great thing about vegetable juice is that it is typically lower in calories and higher in nutritious content than fruit juices are. You get more vitamins and minerals from a shot of blended vegetables than you do in the same quantity of apple or orange juice.

 

     If you like coffee or tea, keep on drinking it. Caffeine is a stimulant and will help your body burn more calories while at rest or while active. The challenge with these drinks is what you put in them. Coffee and tea have next to no calories and absolutely no fat, unless you add cream and/or sugar. For these beverages, I would like you to substitute the lightest milk possible for your cream or go with no dairy at all. Also, start drinking them half-sweet, sweetened with a little bit of honey, pure vanilla bean or cinnamon. Best of all would be black. No sweeteners and no dairy.

 

     You may drink milk as an option, but make sure it is skim (0%) and, as with everything but water, drink in moderation. Milk is a good beverage to have with or following a meal, but not every meal.

 

     That is your start. Stop the soda and drink a minimum of 2 litres of pure water a day. After just reading this, your commitment to yourself should make this first step here easy and done.