Running on Empty

Cars have a very handy gauge to tell you how full your gas tank is. F=full E=empty. In my car a little warning light comes on when I am getting close to needing more gas. I often ignore the light the first time I see it... just one more trip to the store, just got to get my kid to soccer practice. If you run out of fuel, that is it; your car does not have a fuel reserve. Now imagine if you had no gas gauge and you had to estimate when you might need gas. That is what many of us have done with our bodies; our hunger gauge is no longer in sync because of coffee breakfasts and skipped meals. In turn we wonder why we are lethargic and can't stop eating in the evening.

Our bodies are complex and wonderful organisms. We don't give a second thought to our digestion, blood sugar levels, and energy until they are compromised in some way. What if you could help your body stay healthy through food? What if you shifted your thinking away from weight loss and calories and toward nutrition. Many of us treat our cars better than our bodies. We make sure our car gets the right type of fuel, we get the oil changed, we buy new tires, and we make sure our car is in proper alignment. Do you do that for yourself?

I am not going into the science of why you need to fuel your body properly- I can provide some links for that. What I do want to emphasize is that your body depends on you to provide nutrition, and lack of nutrition over time may lead to chronic health problems.

So here are some guidelines on how to nourish yourself throughout the day... A colleague of mine, who is a dietician, recommends these guidelines.... 5 small meals throughout the day with a minimum of 10 grams of protein and a maximum of 30 grams or carbohydrates.

This is what a typical would look like following those guidelines...

7:00 am breakfast- Protein shake
10:00 am snack- 1/4 cup of almonds and a piece of fruit
1:00 lunch- chicken breast and steamed veggies
4:00 snack- 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 cup of strawberries
7:00 dinner- salmon filet and stir- fry veggies

Your body will thank you. You will chase away the swings in energy, and you just might find your clothes getting looser