Nutrition

Developing good nutritional habits can be difficult when there is so much contradicting information out there.

Fortunately for Life Time Fitness members, numerous nutrition coaches across the country held the Big 16 E.A.T. Smart Seminar at their clubs Tuesday to help members navigate their way toward healthy nutrition.

In Plymouth, MN, Nutrition Coach Paul Kriegler provided 14 members with a few major principles that could help them improve their nutrition dramatically and reach their health goals.

During the seminar, Kriegler stressed seven major points that will help anyone develop healthy nutrition:

1. Take a multivitamin and Omega-3 Fish Oil each day to provide all the missing nutrients your body needs but your daily diet may not provide.
2. Keep your calorie intake greater than your resting metabolic rate otherwise your metabolism may slow down quickly.
3. Eat every three to four hours to prevent overeating and to regulate your blood-sugar level. It also ensures that you eat a variety of foods each day.
4. Eat lean protein with every meal to help stabilize your blood-sugar level, satisfy your hunger longer, and maintain lean body mass.
5. Avoid processed foods because they don't provide as many nutrients and won’t satisfy your hunger as well. Also, avoid high-fructose corn syrup — Completely removing it from your diet can help you lose 5 to 10 pounds in two months.
6. Avoid unknown chemicals found in some foods and try eating organic foods “whenever possible."
   
7. Optimize your health with whatever nutritional aids you may need. Don’t take an additional supplement or similar aid unless your body needs it.

“Whatever you learned today, put it into action tomorrow,” Kriegler told his attending members before taking questions and the group heading to the LifeCafé for a healthy meal.

Kriegler said if members take action and incorporate these guidelines into their daily diet with an exercise regiment, they could start to feel results in 4 to 6 weeks.

“Weight loss, health and fitness aren’t something that just happens,” he said. “They’re achieved.”

Stay tuned to Life Time Fitness Nutrition for information about October’s Big 16 Nutrition event.