Revv up that Engine!

Last post I was talking about how our body is like a vehicle; we come in all different models, shapes, and sizes, with different engines. Some of us are blessed with a high performance engine, others of us have strong powerful engines, but they move a little slower. Each vehicle needs fuel, and regular maintenance....along with running the engine often...A vehicle that sits in a garage all the time, won't run right. And we might not necessarily be able to change our vehicle model, but we can improve our performance and that starts with the fuel we put in our bodies.
So let's talk about the fuel we need!! And think guys and gals, we don't overfill our tank....so don't overfill your body! And the same token, you NEED FUEL!! If you run a vehicle on an empty tank it ruins the system...DON'T SKIP MEALS OR STARVE! YOU NEED FUEL TO RUN CORRECTLY! Let's talk about CARBOHYDRATES

Now, you might here good carbs, bad carbs and so on, but just think TOO many of carbs is a bad thing whether it is green beans or a loaf of bread. However, think of veggies, especially green ones as the high performance fuel, and breads and sugars as the cheap gasoline. Yes, you can put the cheap gasoline in your vehicle once in awhile, but if you use it everyday, you are sure to have issues, and by far if you OVEREAT the junk carbs, (breads, processed foods, cereals, table sugar) you are sure to ruin your vehicle. I bet some of you are saying, but I don't like veggies. Are you sure? Have you ever tried some grilled asparagus on a BBQ or some sauteed green beans with spices? Or switch celery for that PBJ sandwich and use the celery to scoop the peanut butter! The cool thing is with veggies, you typically can eat MORE than starches like breads, potatoes, and cereals. For example, 4 cups of broccoli is equal to the same amount of sugar as a ONE slice of white bread. Granted you aren't dousing that broccoli in ranch or cheese! So carbohydrates come in many degrees of sugar content, so choose a variety is the best method, and limit the processed foods. Don't forget, carbohydrates are a good fuel source for energy!! You need them in your diet!

Next is protein. Protein is like the mechanic fixing your body. Protein helps repair the body. Protein builds up, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body. Your muscles, your organs, and your immune system is mostly made of protein. Beef, chicken, eggs, lamb, pork, buffalo, fish are sources of protein. Fish and chicken would be the best choices, but these are not off limits. Again, not OVERDOING protein is the key. 8 strips of bacon is not a good source of protein, neither is 6 eggs in a meal. Eat a variety of protein sources!

Last is fats. FATS get a bad reputation, but you NEED FAT in your diet!! I have to say, ever since the low-fat diets craze of the 1980's, people have been getting FATTER! What does that tell you? We need fats & cholesterol in our diet since it helps our brain and nervous system. Fats are stored energy, and gives you that "feeling full" feeling or what is called saiety. Granted we mean HEALTHY fats! Olives, olive oil, avocadoes, nuts, seeds, eggs are good choices. Yes, you can have that bacon, but just in small amounts.

Have you ever eaten a container full of rice and 5 minutes later, you want more? But have you ever had 5 avocadoes and wanted more? Fats make you feel full, and starches and sugars tend to make you hungry!

Last, don't forget WATER!! You need to be hydrated all the time, especially if you live in warm climates. Soda, and diet soda have NO nutritional value!!! Carbonated water such as mineral water with lime or lemon is a better choice. Energy drinks are way too high in bad chemicals and in my opinion are not for anyone much less kids, and teens.

"A recent report in medical journal Pediatrics shows that no 'safe' level of consumption of energy drinks has been established for children, adolescents and young adults, and consumption of these under-researched, over-used drinks could well lead to heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death." (ibtimes.com)

So I hope you have a little idea how your body works, and the cool thing for teens is your body is still adjusting and growing, so you have time to build that engine and revv it up!!

Happy Health!

Fit Tomboy