24 Feb Women’s Fitness Week: To eat, or not to eat

This is the third in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to come up with today’s list of diet tips.

It takes exercise and proper nutrition to make a fit person. For women to improve their health, they have to focus on cleaning up their nutrition as well.
It takes discipline to eat right and also time and research. The biggest key many trainers suggest is this: “The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you.”
It can take some time to get used to eating healthy, but in the end you shouldn’t really miss the unhealthy food.
Fresh fruits can satisfy your sweet tooth and vegetables will fill you up and help provide energy. Get carbs from whole grain pasta and breads and bake fish and chicken rather than frying it.
Of course, drink lots of water, too. By all means, cut out soda pop.
Here’s a smart food choices checklist:

Avoid these foods
Soda pop
Trans fats (check labels)
Deep fried foods
Iceburg lettuce (little nutritional value)
Salad dressing loaded with sodium and fat
Pastry loaded with sugar
High-fat snacks and chips
White bread
Most fast-food restaurants
Breakfast cereal loaded with sugar and low in fiber

Eat these foods instead
Green and brightly colored vegetables
Dark leafy greens and lettuce
Fresh berries and fruits
Lean chicken and turkey
Nuts
Whole grain breads and pasta
Fresh ocean fish
Low-fat yogurt (add your own fruit and berries)
Low-fat milk and/or soy milk

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com