Eating Right in your 30's!

Eating Right in your 30's

The Challenge: You're low on energy.

Feels like your being pulloed in a zillion different directions? No wonder. Between a demanding career, a husband, and kids too. Trying to fit in a workouut whenever you can, it's tough to balance all the things on your to do list and still muster the motivation to eat right. Consider this your health wake up call. "A less than stellar diet starts to catch up with you in this decade, putting you at increased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and weight gain."

Your diet to do list

1)Bolster your Immunity

Antioxidants like vitamin A,C, and E, found in foods ssuch as sweet potatoes, red peppers and almonds, may slow the effects of aging and help ward off heart disease and cancer. The secret to their success? They reduce inflammation and repair damage to cells. You can't get the same benefits from swupplements, however. "Studies show that the antioxidants in food are much more effective than those you get from popping a pill, because they work in tandem with other compounds to fight disease."

2)Aim for Three Squares

Too busy for breakfast. Likely to choose your "lunch" from the office vending machine? If this is you then your habits need to chance. Not eating enough of the right foods for breakfast & lunch can make you feel exhausted and irritable by midafternoon. Build time in your schedule for three meals daily with 400-500 calories
each with a 150 calorie snack anytime you go more than three to four hours without eating. Keep healthy foods like nuts, fruit, whole grained cereal in your desk for those days when you can't get away from the office.

3)Power Up Your Plate.

Filling up on fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains may reduce your risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. In one study, women who ate the most vegetables lowered their odds of developing type 2 diabetes by 28 percent. Vegetarians in another report slashed their risk of cardiovscular disease by 24 percent. To reap the benefits, load three quarters of your plate with foods mentioned above, and the remaining one quarter with lean meat, poultry or fish.

Your recipes for success

Breakfast

1 package instant oatmeal topped with 1 sliced banana and 1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 oz. low fat yogurt
coffee with low fat milk

Lunch

Spinach salad: Toss together 1 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1/2 swliced red bell pepper, 5 halved grape tomates, 5 chopped baby carrots, 1/2 cup chickpeas, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 oz. (about 13) baked pita chips

Snack

1 apple, sliced, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Dinner

4 oz. grilled chicken breast with 1 cup cooked brown rice and black bean tomato salad (1/2 cup black beans, 1 small dicedd tomato, 1/4 diced avocado, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 pinch chilli powder)
8 oz. 1% milk and 2 oreos