Fitness Gurus

Hi All, We’re back with more healthy and helpful tips! Finals week is just around the corner, and we’re all extremely busy, but that is no excuse to stop caring about what food you are eating. This is the most important time to make sure you are eating from the right food groups and not letting yourself survive solely off a diet of french fries and chocolate.Make sure that about 40 to 50% of your diet consists of carbs. Try to stay away from over processed and refined carbs such as white rice, pasta and white bread, and instead replace them with whole grain bread, brown rice and vegetables. According to choosemyplate.gov, around half of your meal should consist of fruits and vegetables.Keep your carbs in check by making 25 to 35% of your diet protein, and 20 to 30% fat. Although the amount of protein you should be eating varies depending on your activity level as well as your fitness goals, a standard rule is to eat .37 grams of protein per pound that you weigh. Signs of not eating an adequate amount of protein are fatigue, weakness and muscle loss. In addition, your metabolism slows down and your immune system weakens. To ensure that your protein levels are where they need to be, eat chicken, beans, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese.Another thing to be wary of is the amount of sodium you consume. True, chips and ramen noodles are delicious, but be careful of how often you eat them. The recommended amount of sodium per day is around 1,500 milligrams, but the average American eats somewhere around 3,400! This excessive sodium consumption leads to water retention, and in turn, weight gain and bloating. Years of too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure. We do not want any heart failure before finals week, now do we? So, stay strong and healthy by checking your nutrition facts before you snack!Our quote this week comes from Lou Holtz: “No one ever drowned in sweat.” Stay happy, healthy and motivated! Till next time,Stajz and Emily