Page 14 - Boca Club News - September '24

Page 14, Boca Club News

From The Professionals’ Desks
From The Professionals’ Desks

Healthy Answers – A Guide to Healthy Living:

“Keep It Clean and Lean!”

By Dale Brown, B.S., M.A., C.E.C. a few extra pounds from your waistline. Not to mention that When home use smaller plates, and when snacking do not eat
Dale is a motivational speaker who weight puts added stress on joints that make it more difficult directly from the container.
has spent many years as a Certified to walk or bend down without pain. More Fruits and Veggies – By consuming more fruits
Life Coach and has written numerous The good news is that making healthy choices could mean and veggies you should feel less hungry because these
articles and e-books relating to self- a leaner, stronger you in the long run. The key to your success foods are filled with nutrients, high fiber and water. Fiber
improvement and ways to build a simply comes down to ... maintenance. is crucial in preventing constipation and lowers cholesterol.
high-performance team. She is the I tell many of my clients that the answer lies in finding a Add oatmeal, beans, whole grain foods along with a variety
author of the book, “Small Steps... healthy eating plan that provides the best nutrition for your of fruits and veggies.
Big Changes: The Personal Stories body, mind and soul. It’s not about starving yourself but Weigh in – Experts suggest weighing in weekly, at the
of a Life Coach.” Her education and years of experience rather learning how to choose the right foods, regardless of same time of day, the same day of the week, on the same
in physical fitness and training of elite athletes has enabled where you are. scale, with the same clothes or without to keep consistency
her to sharpen her knowledge in many health-related areas. How can you change your style of eating to be healthier? and reliability. If you prefer to weigh in daily, as I do, don’t
The following introduces a new approach to Ms. Brown’s First, let me share a few reality checks when it comes be discouraged when you find fluctuations from 1-3 pounds
series of columns devoted to many topics that deal with to meeting your goal of a slimmer, healthier you: depending on various factors such as water retention, heavy
the mind/body connection and the importance of living a * If you love meat … eat it. If you love carbs, eat them. The eating the day before or hormonal changes.
healthy lifestyle. Dale, a Bocaire resident, can be reached secret is when, how much, and what else to put on your plate. Protein – Don’t underestimate the importance of protein.
at dalebrown@lovingmondays.com. * If you’re going to eat carbs, have them before 2 p.m. It’s the ultimate food when it comes to filling you up and
Losing weight is hard to do, but even harder after the * Don’t eat anything after 8 p.m. Give your digestive fueling your body. Healthy proteins are seafood, lean meat,
age of 60. It’s not uncommon for body shapes to change system time to do its job. egg whites, yogurt, cheese, soy, nuts and beans. Proteins
in your later years of life, and much of this change may * Cut back on salt and sugar, two silent killers when it help preserve muscle mass and encourage fat burning. Try
be due to hormones. For women it’s estrogen and for men comes to your diet. to incorporate protein in every meal and/or snack.
it’s dealing with the lack of testosterone. Regardless of the Next, try following these simple tips: Water – You may think you’re hungry but it might be
reasons for weight gain, no one is happy with love handles, Clean House – That’s right! Take a look in your pantry, thirst instead. Next time you go for a bag of chips, first drink
stomach bulge, muscle reduction, cellulose or loss of skin freezer and refrigerator and purge your cupboards of such a glass of water or a fruit-infused herbal tea. Try drinking a
elasticity. fattening foods as chips, ice cream and candy. Reduce temptation glass of water before a meal to help curb your appetite and
I’m sure many of you can remember when you felt and by making it difficult to reach for a treat. to give you a feeling of fullness.
looked your best. It might be a few decades ago but to most Stock Up – After clearing your shelves of goodies you’ll have Slow is Okay – Think how long it has taken you to get to
of us it seems like yesterday. As you look into the mirror room to stock up on ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes. your current weight. Don’t be impatient; dropping pounds
of truth, or step on the scale of doom, we all wonder how Some healthy basics to keep on hand are: frozen vegetables, takes time. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
did it happen? I remember thinking, “I used to be a size 4 whole-grain pasta, canned tomatoes or beans, bags of salad Here’s my philosophy: “Life should be enjoyable, and
and weighed 110 pounds! I had a great figure then. If only greens and whole grain pitas. Having ingredients that you can I don’t want to stop doing the things I love to do, like
I could lose 25 pounds, I might look like that again.” easily combine in 10 minutes may keep you from grabbing fast eating!” Don’t be a slave to a diet that robs you of the joy
After retirement, losing weight is much more than food on the way home. of savoring the foods you enjoy. Learn to understand the
looking good in pants or a dress. There are many other Portion Size – Dining out can be disastrous when it comes nature of healthy eating, make the highest choice possible
health issues such as high cholesterol, hypertension and an to portion control. Ask for a box or an extra plate and make when selecting from a menu, keep it lean and keep it clean.
increased risk of diabetes that could be mitigated by losing two meals out of one. Better yet, share with a friend if you can. Your health depends on it.