Everybody loves Sunday meal. But prep for the week ahead …making faces already!! Sometimes planning out meals each week can get a little monotonous and boring. But for those who rush out of home for a 8-10 hr job each day, meal prep for week ahead is how it begins on Sundays. It probably is the best suited way to keep track of your eats. It also sets of your week ahead with a healthy fresh mind set. Planning out your meals and stocking your refrigerator likewise could free you enough to look forward to your workouts for that week.

If you “fail to plan, plan to fail is imminent”!

When you plan your meals for the week ahead, not only you learn to resize the portion but also plan to fuel yourself with wholesome nutrition; foods that make you want to work that much more! To me it always rings sweet…’abs are made in kitchen’. You just need not tease your brain to know when your body looks for healthy food for endurance, strength and even weight loss .  

What foods to eat for an upright body

Plants do not eat. They make their own food under the sun. But animals and we humans are different. We all need to eat to live and grow. We have so many choices to make about what we eat. Some of these choices are healthier than others. Plant or animals, it’s the food that gives body the much required energy and what we decide to eat coincides with our stress levels.

Consider your food like invisible bits of energy that need to be consumed in right proportion. If you eat too much, extra calories turn into fat, if you eat too little it won’t be long when you become a bag of skin and bones.

Each one of us needs a different number of calories. It depends on how active you are. It depends on what size you are. And above all it depends on what you eat.

Nutrients are invisible but vital for your life 

You can’t see nutrients everybody talks so much about, but you cannot live without them either! What you eat provides you the nutrients and helps the body do its job. Each nutrient works differently. Protein makes your body grow and heal itself when you get hurt. Eating meat or fish could do the trick or you could get them from plants like bean and nuts.

Most of the energy that you get from food comes from carbohydrates. Starches like rice, wheat are good source of carbs. And so are the sugars found in fruits, milk honey etc.

These are natural sugars, a wee bit different from the refined sugar and are found in soft drinks and flavored fruit juices. Bad choice indeed.

Minerals have their hands full

Minerals or salts have too many jobs to take care of. Calcium for instance found in dairy products and greens builds up your frame and teeth. Salts like iron, sodium and zinc carry out vital body functions. Then body needs vitamins too. These work as catalyst to various physiological functions and are on high priority. Vitamin C for one keeps your gums healthy and is found in citrus fruits. Vitamin D works with minerals and helps you work out strong bones and teeth.

And then there is the resolute one; the water. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%. In fact every cell in our body is surrounded by water. It helps body to get rid of waste and stay at safe temperature.

Trust me, it is important to eat and more important to eat well. To eat healthy you need to follow a few simple rules. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Eat smaller amount of grains and dairy and proteins. Eat even smaller amounts of fat. Sweets and snacks are high on calorie, fare poor on nutrients and are your worst enemy. Take a strong vow and drop them from your list of regular eats.

Jump start your day with quality eats

Begin your day with a hearty breakfast that will fuel your energy levels. But,  no high fat or high calorie foods! You could settle for protein and fresh fruit to begin your day. If you get a large breakfast to your fill, mid morning snack turns optional. You may not get the hunger pangs till lunchtime.  Still if the belly protests, a bite or two of light snack won’t hurt.

Lunch is a great time to savor a pack of sandwich or leftovers that you can heat and eat. If you choose for a quick grab, buy a healthy clear soup or fresh veggie salad. A mid afternoon snack is elective. Just eat enough to tide you over till dinner time, a couple of hours away.

‘Any time’ Foods are chartbuster on nutrition counts

We love a good cheat every once in a while, but we are more comfortable indulging if we know that we’ve gotten our fill of essential vitamins and nutrients. To make sure that you’re getting enough of the good stuff, include these nine foods in your daily menu, and you may agree after a while that these simple and healthy foods work for real in a convincing way.

Eggs

One of the best sources of proteins, eggs raise your metabolism fast enough to let you feel energized. However, if your cholesterol level is high, then ­consume only egg whites and not the yolk. Egg whites are a pure source of protein, and ideal if you want to lose weight.

Ever wondered why you crave most in the morning for sugary products like doughnuts? It is because this early morning snack attack is caused by dip in sugar levels. It’s almost 10 hrs since you ate last. Go for plain oatmeal. It gives you that healthy feeling of fullness and stays in your stomach for hours. It is an excellent choice if you want to curb and reduce belly fat.

High-Fiber Cereal

For maintaining a healthy body especially if you look forward to a flat tummy and push weight loss, cereal is your best option. It contains enough fiber to fill you up and keep your digestive system happy.

Legumes

Like lentils, chickpea and beans too contain a sizeable amount of zinc. 100 gms of cooked lentils contain 12 per cent of the daily recommended value of zinc. Legumes on the other hand are rich in fiber and protein and also have phytates which inhibit absorption of zinc and other minerals. Moreover, include green beans in your salad and soups as well. The fiber of green beans helps manage blood sugar levels and you could ward off those afternoon sugar cravings.

Lean protein

Lean proteins help in speeding up the metabolism while encouraging body to burn more fat. Turkey, chicken breast, pork, and beef (with fat trimmed off, like ground roast, ground, sirloin, tenderloin, etc.) deliver muscle building protein sans much of saturated fat. This is where you can indulge and slake  your inner carnivore.

Cruciferous Veggies  

Veggies top the chart when it comes to stoking your daily calorie firepit. Low in calories, high in fiber and essential nutrients cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, all work as anti-carcinogen by reducing oxidative stress and stimulating enzymes in the body that fights the toxins.

Bananas

Banana is one of the easiest foods to indulge in as your daily diet because it is such a versatile food. Whip up a smoothie or throw one in your office bag for an on-the-go snack. High in potassium, the fruit helps in reducing the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. One medium size banana loads in more than 400mg of this micronutrient.

Nuts

Whenever you get that crazy little pang of hunger in the middle of your work, go for nuts rather than gorge on junk food like chips and pizzas. Nuts like almonds, cashew and ­pistachios are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and have a low ­calorie count. Skip ­the salted ones though for too much of sodium could raise your blood pressure. Of course they’re full of heart-healthy goodness but their only downfall is high calorie counts. So just pick a small size serving and get the most of bang for your calorie buck.

Berries

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The antioxidants in berries  (like strawberries and blueberries) block the enzyme responsible for ­breaking starch into simple sugar. This means fewer ­simple sugars are released into the blood stream, lowering the blood sugar and the ­corresponding insulin response. The key to your weight loss lies here!…. for insulin shuttles excess sugar into fat cells.

“Perfect” one-size-fits all prep isn’t there

Whether you aim to raise your energy, lose weight, or to simply learn to eat a little better, you would do well to get organized in the kitchen and strike rich with your meal  prep. Simply create a meal plan and choose healthy flavorful eats that works best for you. After all living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult.  You should be in sync with it and have fun together!  Just step outside your comfort zone and try new healthy, nutritious eats without bothering about your waistline.

You will be amazed how small things make a world of difference!!