Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’re going to be talking about how to have more energy, feel better, and look better. This is going to be the first part in a two part series, so be on the lookout for part two coming soon. And if you have any questions about today’s blog, then please give us a call at (806)-322-3188
So right now we are exiting flu season and entering allergy season. I’ve been without a voice for a few days now, and like most people around here i’ve been experiencing drainage, sinus issues, and allergy congestion. So even though i’m not feeling my best today, I made a video and I’m doing my best in writing this blog. Hopefully all of y’all out there are who are also sick are getting through your work and family tasks and feeling better.
So i’m going to ask you something: what if you had something that was already in your kitchen that could increase your energy, help you to look better, and help you to feel better all in a matter of days? It can really even improve your health to the point to where your allergies aren’t as bad as they could be.
I know you are all wondering what this thing could possibly be. I know that you’re going to love this answer because everyone always does. It’s vegetables! I know it wasn’t what you wanted to hear, but bear with me for a moment.
So if you think about it, vegetables actually have the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, fidonutrients, and other things that your body needs to function.
So with root vegetables, those are the things that are growing right now during the winter. That’s your things like potatoes, and carrots. And those things actually have a higher level of certain vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to fight off things like this. So it’s definitely beneficial. It’s amazing how all of that works together to where food can grow at certain times to support your body when it needs it.
So when it comes to vegetables, you need them. A lot of them. Really the goal overall is to get anywhere from 5-10 servings of vegetables a day.
You may be wondering how much a serving is. Well, a serving of something like a raw, leafy vegetable is about two cups or two fist sizes. So not what you can fit into your fist, but what your fist would look like next to it. So two of those fists would be about one serving, and you want to eat about 5-10 of those a day.
Now, you don’t want to eat just lettuce. As a personal trainer in Amarillo, I have a lot of people come in and start talking about vegetables and it usually leads to them telling me how sick of salads they are. And having a salad is a great way to get your veggies in, but it doesn’t have to be just salads. You really want to be getting in more variety than what a side salad can offer.
So if you are eating leafy greens, you want those to be darker leafy greens. That’s things like your spinach, kale, and even your arugulas. You aren’t looking for that iceberg lettuce. You’re looking for about one cup, or one fist, of vegetables to equal one serving. Again, not what you can fit into your fist, but what your fist would look like beside it.
So that one cup, two cup versus regular vegetables versus leafy vegetables obviously accounts for the squishiness of the leaves. You want to make sure that you get enough vegetables each day, and that’s at least 5-10 servings of all kinds of vegetables.
So, what are three ways that you can really increase your vegetable intake?
First, is that you can commit to having a large salad everyday. And what I mean by that goes back to the inclusion of those dark leafy greens, but also including in as many vegetables as you can on top of that. In that you can get at least 3-4 servings of vegetables just in a salad.
And again, that doesn’t have to be your only option. Yes, you can have dressing. A lot of people think that they can’t have any dressing. Just don’t drown your salad in the dressing. It’s best to have your dressing on the side and dip your fork into it as you go in for a bit of that salad. It’s also good to do a vinaigrette, or some lemon juice, and even some people go for hot sauce.
I want to make sure that you have variety and color in your salad. And I want to make sure that you have variety in the vegetables that you eat all through the day.
So i’m going to end part one here. In part two we’re going to be talking more about nutrition and the last two ways to increase your vegetable intake.
If can’t wait for part two, or you want to know more about Custom Fitness and what we do here, then please give us a call. If you’re wanting the accountability and help with creating an action plan to see results, or are wanting to someone to help create a workout plan to push you to your greatest potential, then that’s what we’re here for. Our trainers are here to look out for you and make sure that you are meeting your goals in a safe way.
At Custom Fitness, we customize a plan for you. We sit down with you and find out what your needs are and then build a health and fitness plan around that. We have an entire team of dedicated professionals to help you with your health and fitness goals. To get your consultation set up, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day.