In this version of my fitness tips medley I share some important beginner and intermedia fitness tips, power foods and fruits plus a whole lot more. Enjoy reading! 

Big mistakes that new comers make when trying to get healthy:

1.Do you know that results do not happen overnight? Sometimes the slightest hint of change won’t happen for up to a month! Most beginners I find, follow through with a new program or diet for about 2-3 weeks and after they don’t see fast or immediate results, they quit. There are a lot of people who expect fast results and get depressed when they don’t get results as quick as they wanted. Your body is a temple and should be treated with respect and you must do things slowly in order to expect results or you will ruin your temple.

My solution: Don’t change your routine so much. Persistence is the key and sticking to something for more than 2 months at a time is a necessity.

2.Another big mistake I have noticed is people like some family members of mine who rationalize everything and no matter what the situation is anything could be justified to them. A good example of this is “I had a great workout today let me reward myself with some Chinese food”……no don’t do this!!!

My solution: If you are somebody who tends to justify and rationalize everything, then remove emotion from your fitness routines. Remember the key here is no emotions so making a quick healthy decision is key. Don’t give yourself time to think about a possible justification for change. Making some rules for yourself can also help. I have read and heard many people using the “if and then rules.” For example, if I am offered cookies at work, I will say no thank you. If I want to watch TV then, I will immediately get some fitness (push ups/crunches) in before sitting down on the couch.

My opinion – when you first start your new fit life, try to think like a robot so your healthy and smart decisions are automatic and your emotion to justify bad habits is removed.

3. A lot of beginners focus on observing everybody around them working out and do not focus on their own routine, which makes them not enjoy their workout.  If you are going to the gym just to watch how others exercise, then you will not have fun at all.  The gym is supposed to be fun, as well as effective for the body.  Physical fitness can be fun, trust me.

People that have no fun eventually start associating exercise as “horrible”, “boring”, “repetitive” and keep having images of salads and running on treadmills shoot in their heads.

It’s really easy to slip into the “I hate exercise” belief, so to avoid this, add some fun activities to your workout. You can go outside and run/walk/jog around a beautiful park, or even throw a baseball or go for a hike for cardio. personally, I like strength training, although some don’t. If this is so, you may want to create a playlist of your favorite songs and play it while you work out. This helps you shut out the world around you and focus on your routines.  Before you know it, the boring workout will be over. Still not feeling too solid about that idea? Do something more out of the box and childish. Imagine yourself winning an olympic award and tell yourself in order to achieve that, I need to make my workout last at least 30 minutes a day.

TRY THESE ACTIVITIES TODAY 

1)Paintball

2) Martial arts

3)Golf

4)You ever heard of geo-catching?…. Google it, its super fun. it’s pretty much like a huge scavenger hunt.

5)Wii fit or x-box kinect

 

MY RECOMMENDED DAILY SPARE-TIME WORKOUTS:

1.Pull-ups- always change the grip and the width of your hand placement (do 5-8 reps) 2-3 sets

2.Around the house squats- grab 2 milk cartons or small dumbbells if you don’t have gym access and place your feet shoulder width and sit back with your hips (do about 15 reps)

3.Walking lunge- walk forward 8 steps using lunge steps, repeat in the opposite direction for about 8 steps

4.Jog. 200-250 meters with a weighted backpack or a backpack full of heavy items

POWER FOODS OF THE WEEK

Sweet potatoes- Why? Because they are a nutritional powerhouse and super healthy. so no matter what your goals are, sweet potatoes are the key. they contain cartenoids, which help prevent cell damage caused by everyday living and hard workouts

Vitamin E- Which is an antioxidant that protects against heart disease

Potassium – Which is necessary for muscle contraction, nerve transmission, bone health, and proper hydration

Copper- Which assists in the production of collagen

Quercetin- Which is a photo-nutrient that may help you breathe easier by assisting your body fight allergies, hay fever and helping with asthma.

POWER FRUITS OF THE WEEK 

Fruit is the perfect food. It’s got amino acids; it has protein; it’s the best & cleanest source of carbohydrates; and it has a little bit of fat.  But the diet of “fruitarianism,” that is eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds is like a good idea taken to excess.  But there can be too much of a good thing.  A “bad diet” is any diet that excludes a major food group.  And fruit’s protein is not a complete protein.  It lacks the main building blocks of muscles: glutamine & branch-chain amino acids. The diet can cause emaciation, fatigue, muscle cramps and gum disease.  So here’s how to cherry-pick for your desired problem or payoff

BANANAS

for a better workout

provider of fuel , help relieve dehydration, cramping and fatigue

BLUEBERRIES

for sharper memory

contain flavonoids, antioxidants which can improve learning & retention.  flavonoids also can induce mechanisms that affect cancer cells and inhibit tumor invasion.

 

 

CHERRIES

for sounder sleep

natural source of melatonin, which can help induce sleep

GRAPEFRUIT

for a trimmer waist

the weight-loss rumors re: this fruit has legs…it may reduce insulin levels, enabling the body to better metabolize fat.

TOMATOES

for smoother skin and general health ; possible prevention of prostate cancer.

packed with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from age-accelerating uv light.   though the research is preliminary, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer. given its potential antioxidant properties, substantial scientific and clinical research has been devoted to a possible correlation between lycopene consumption and general health. early research suggested some decrease in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even male infertility

WATERMELON

for hotter sex

contains citrulline, an α-amino acid, which helps increase blood flow to the penis for harder erections.  also reduces muscle fatigue.

PLUMS/PEACHES

for less stress

sources of chlorogenic acid, which in mice studies show a decrease in anxiety. this compound, long known as an antioxidant, also slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal.

STRAWBERRIES

for thicker hair

the vitamin c content boosts collagen production as well as iron absorption.  both are keys to keeping hair strong and resilient.  collagen is also found in fibrous tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and skin.