10 WAYS TO GET MORE ANTIOXIDANTS INTO YOUR DIET

It’s no secret that antioxidants are incredibly beneficial to good health. It’s believed the antioxidants in food can help prevent cancer, reverse or slow aging, enhance your immune system, increase your energy and improve heart and other organ health. 

Given all we know about antioxidants and their beneficial properties, it’s amazing more people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables, the primary sources of antioxidants. Experts recommend a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but say getting 7-10 servings is best. 

There are 10 steps to getting more antioxidants into your diet.

1.Breakfast

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw some strawberries, 100% juice and yogurt into a blender; pour your delicious mixture into a cup and head out the door. You’ve just added one to three servings of fruits to your daily intake. Or throw some berries onto your cold or hot cereal.

Say you truly have no time in the morning and usually grab something on the run. Even the Golden Arches can be of some help here. Order a fruit and yogurt parfait and some apple slices. For about £2, you have a breakfast providing one to two servings of fruit.

2.Snacks

Here’s an easy way to get more antioxidants in your diet. How about a handful of raisins for a snack, or some fresh red grapes? Dip some strawberries in yogurt. You’ll feel decadent, but the berries provide the color you’re looking for. Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in hummus? Consider a handful of pecans for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost.

3.Lunch and dinner 

It might sound trite, but adding a salad to each of your main daily meals can add loads to your overall health and well-being. They don’t have to be boring, and they don’t have to be just salad greens. If you’re going classic, add some red pepper slices to your green salad, some tomatoes to the Greek salad, or tart cranberries to your field greens. Whip up a broccoli salad for lunch, or be adventurous and mix up a rice salad with a mélange of fresh vegetables like string beans, tomatoes, peppers and red onions. 

4.Dessert

Berries, with or without whipped cream or chocolate are a wonderful way to end your day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating.

5.Beverages

Replace your soda with tea or coffee, both of which boast antioxidant compounds. Have a glass of wine with dinner, or for a real change of pace, pour a glass of chai tea. 

6.Think outside the box

We know we can get our antioxidant fix from berries, salads and the like, but researchers say powerful antioxidants can also be found in a variety of unexpected foods, like russet potatoes, artichokes, and small red beans. The beans, in fact, may have more antioxidant power than blueberries, experts say. So to your rice salad full of vegetables, add some beans for even more antioxidants.

7.Cook lightly

You think you’re being good, preparing vegetables each night for your family’s dinner. But if you’re overcooking the vegetables, you’re cooking out a lot of the beneficial properties of the antioxidants. Steam (don’t boil) vegetables, and stop cooking them when they will have all of their bright color and most of their bite. 

8.Plant a garden

Experts believe that people who plant and harvest vegetables from their own yards are far more likely to eat more vegetables and fruits than people who buy their produce from the store. So plant a garden, watch it grow and eat the fruits (literally) of your labor.

9.Take your healthy diet on vacation

Too many of us consider going on vacation an opportunity to take a vacation from everything, including healthy eating. Think of vacation as a way to be introduced to new foods. Order an interesting vegetable dish in a restaurant and then pay attention to how the chef prepared the dish. 

10.Learn to cook

If you’re cooking, you’re not opening bags and boxes. Cooking involves scrubbing and peeling vegetables, preparing whole foods and paying attention to how things are cooked. If you’re ordering out every night, you’re far less likely to be eating the whole foods and natural fruits and vegetables that provide the base for our antioxidant intake.

 

by Rita

7 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING COCONUT OIL

It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil (especially organic coconut oil.) It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils and why coconut oil is good for you and for cooking.

  1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

  1. Coconut oil increases your metabolism. 

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

  1. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

  1. Coconut oil gives you energy. 

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life. 

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. 

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

  1. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil. 

Coconut oil is one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does it soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too. 

  1. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin. 

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

  1. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking. 

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature. 

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

 

by Rita

NATURAL ARTHRITIS REMEDY TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Arthritis, whether it is osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout, have the common symptoms of inflammation of one or more joints. This is accompanied by pain, swelling and sometimes joint deformity. Traditionally, with herbal medicine, anti-inflammatory herbs such as black cohosh, feverfew, yucca and wild yam were recommended. And a naturopath might prescribe vitamins like vitamin A, the B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Plus a host of minerals like chelated zinc, chelated calcium and magnesium, copper salicylate, selenium and bromelain. And supplements like evening primrose and fish oils, glucosamine, and superoxide dismutase, which is found in good quality dehydrated (but not juiced) green barley powder.

But scientists have found some very effective anti-inflammatory agents in our own kitchen that can be used as an arthritis remedy. Some of them, like ginger, can be bought as a supplement. And due to ginger's strong taste, this might be a preferable way of taking it to get the quantities you need for a significant anti-inflammatory effect. But others, like olive oil, can easily be integrated into the daily diet. Cinnamon is not commonly used as a supplement here, but in India it has a rich traditional use and may be available as part of an Ayurvedic supplement.

GINGER

One of the active constituents in ginger is a phenolic compound known as gingerols. These have been found to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. In a study reported in the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal, the participants who took the ginger compound had significantly less pain during movement than those who took the placebo. This study followed 29 people over 12 months, and also found that swelling in the knees was also reduced. 

However, if you are taking blood thinning medication like warfarin, you may need to be careful about the amount of ginger you take, as ginger can thin the blood also. (Australian Healthy Food)

CINNAMON

This rather delicious spice has a number of health benefits. Specific to inflammation and arthritis, cinnamon can help inhibit the release of inflammatory fatty acids. (Australian Healthy Food)

YELLOW AND ORANGE FRUIT AND VEG

Some of the carotenoids in yellow and orange fruit and vegetables help reduce inflammation. Carotenoids are what gives these vegetables and fruit their color. (Australian Healthy Food)

OLIVE OIL

Extra virgin olive oil acts similar to the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, though it doesn't have the immediate pain relieving effects that ibuprofen does. But a compound found in extra virgin olive oil, called oleocanthal has been found to inhibit the COX enzymes like ibuprofen, in what researchers describe as a 'dose dependant' manner. This research was originally reported in the September, 2005 issue of Nature magazine by Paul Breslin and his associates from Monell Chemical Senses Center. He describes oleocanthal as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that is potentially as strong as ibuprofen. He suggests that taken over the long term, it will have the same potential benefits that long term use of ibuprofen does. Their results found that taking 50 grams of extra virgin olive oil is equal to approximately 10% of the dosage of ibuprofen recommended for pain relief for adults. Olive oil also has a host of other benefits, including a heart-protective effect.

 

Interestingly, scientists have also found that a diet high in refined grains, sugary soft drinks, processed meat and even diet soft drinks can encourage both inflammation and type 2 diabetes.

by Rita

WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT OMEGA 3 FISH OILS ANYWAY?

Question: What’s all the fuss about Omega 3 fish oils? What do they do for my body? Why are Omega 3 fatty acids good?

Answer: Omega 3 fish oils are a substance that can be found in the bodies of fish. However, eating fresh fish is no longer being done enough to get all the essential fats we need. The mercury levels that are prevalent in some fish these days can be very detrimental to your health. However, companies have manufactured fish oil that is mercury free by processing the oils that naturally occur in the fish. Omega 3 is a type of fat that is essential for human health. Omega 3 contains two fatty acids that benefit the human body greatly, which are known as DHA and EPA. 

These fatty acids have been linked to helping prevent heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. DHA is also required by the human brain. Low levels of DHA in the brain have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and an increased chance of being stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the regular and repeated consumption of Omega 3 fish oils can greatly help affect the quality of your life for the better. 

 

The American Heart Association recommends the use of fish oils to help your heart's performance as long as you keep your dosage under 3 grams per day, suggesting an amount roughly between 0.5 to 1.8 grams per day. Clinical trials conducted have shown that Omega 3 fish oils can reduce cardiovascular events including heart attacks, strokes, and even death.

Also, research has shown that fish oils, and omega-3 supplements, can help decrease the risk of arrhythmias, reduce triglyceride levels, decrease the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and even slightly lower blood pressure! With all these facts, there is no doubt that the regular and responsible use of Omega 3 fish oils from supplements can be of great benefit to your health.

Love, The Coach x

by Rita

10 WAYS TO SNEAK EXTRA FRUIT AND VEG INTO YOUR FAMILY’S DIET

We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food, rather than eating fruit and vegetables. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

  1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast. 
  2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal. 
  3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread. 
  4. Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad. 
  5. Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative. You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went. 
  6. Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit. 
  7. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip. And of course there’s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetable in one snack). 
  8. Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to get your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store. 
  9. Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold. 
  10. Start “My Veggie Day”. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they lose a turn and Mom gets to pick. 

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

 

Here is another tip:

Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.

 

Love, The Coach x

 

by Rita

LOSING WEIGHT WHILE KEEPING YOUR SKIN FIRM

Considering you don't have an excessive amount of loose skin already it is possible to lose weight and keep your skin firm in the process. The idea is to keep your body well hydrated day in and day out. NEVER EVER let yourself become dehydrated if you want to tighten loose skin from weight loss. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and NEVER EVER totally eliminate your carbohydrate intake. From my experience most people who have lost weight too fast by eliminating their carbohydrates ended up with a lot of excess skin afterwards. The whole idea is to lose the weight to get healthier and of course to look better with your clothes ON and with your clothes OFF. Here are some tips for skin tightening after weight loss.

  1. Follow a well rounded balanced diet.
  2. Follow a full body exercise routine alternating with a split routine every 4 weeks. For example, full body routine 4 weeks, split routine 4 weeks, full body routine 4 weeks, and so on. 
  3. Considering you don't have stomach ulcers and you are not on blood thinners you should also take ONE TEASPOON of cold arctic cod liver oil ONCE PER DAY with your evening meal. 
  4. Take 1000-1500mg of lecithin per day. Lecithin has been known to increase the elasticity of the skin. 
  5. Anything you can do to increase circulation will also help. Skin brushing techniques are very good. Do a search on the internet for skin brushing to get all the info you need. Deep massages are also good. 
  6. Most importantly if you are more than 75 pounds overweight DO NOT try to lose weight too fast. The more you weigh the easier it will be to lose weight on this program so ease into it slowly so you only lose about 3 pounds per week. Doing this will prevent the sagging skin. If you lose weight too fast you will end up with loose skin 90% of the time. 
  7. Some of my clients have done weekly body wraps with great success but it can get messy. You can do this as an option but it's really not necessary. 

As an option you can also take a supplement called collagen. 

As I stated above one key to increasing the elasticity of your skin is to keep your body well hydrated. Yes, drinking water will do this. The average person needs at least ½ an ounce of water per pound of body weight. Possibly more depending on the type of exercise you do on a daily basis. The reason why so many people end up with loose skin after losing weight is because they go on low carbohydrate diets that will in turn dehydrate the body. If you lose weight and are dehydrated in the process you will see the scale weight go down but unfortunately most of the weight being lost is nothing more than water weight. If you are losing 2-3 pounds per week you are doing great. If you are losing 4-6 pounds you are pushing the limit. Any more than 6 pounds per week and you are sure to end up with loose skin after losing the weight because chances are you are restricting too many carbohydrates from your diet. Cutting out refined flours/breads and sugars will yield the best results. 

Also, instead of getting on the scale every week to measure your progress go more by how your clothes are fitting. I always tell my clients to try on the tightest pair of pants they have and then follow my program for 4 weeks and then try them on again. After 4 weeks those tight fitting pants will be a thing of the past.

Follow all the above and you will see great results. Lose weight firm skin, you can do it!

by Rita

2000 Burpees 24 Hours

Want to join me in supporting a good cause? I'm taking on the 2000 Burpees in April Challenge to raise money for Bone Cancer Research Trust and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate £5 or £500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. I've included information about Bone Cancer Research Trust below.

Every 10 minutes somewhere another child, teenager or adult is diagnosed with this brutal disease and they face a 5-year chance of survival at little over 50%. This drops even further if the disease is discovered late and has already progressed.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust is the only charity dedicated to this disease, it is a small but national charity based in Leeds, UK. They fund ground-breaking research, life-saving awareness initiatives and provide dedicated and trustworthy information and support to patients and all their loved ones... All without any government funding. They rely 100% on people like you supporting their work through donations.

Their work has never been so crucial and vital, in 2019 the major UK cancer research charities reduced their bone cancer research investment again by a massive 17% to a mere £198,575 – the lowest figure since 2002. Collectively the major cancer research charities spent over £700million on research last year, yet despite having some of the most brutal treatment regimes and poorest of outcomes, just 0.028% was spent on bone cancer – not even close to 1%!

Last year alone, with the support of people like you, the Bone Cancer Research Trust were able to commit an incredible £807,824 to pioneering and life-saving research. That’s over four times what all the major UK cancer research charities spent collectively.

Please support me and their work today. Thank you! 🧡

Facebook pays all the processing fees for you, so 100% of your donation goes directly to the charity.

Head on over to donate:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/722377141809556/

by Rita

12 Miles In 2 Hours

British Heart Foundation RunSo just under 2 months to go to the Suffolk trail Running festival and training is thoroughly underway. Today is Good Friday and Good it is indeed. Beautiful weather, happy vibes and a great run.

12 miles today in beautiful weather. Down the prom, round the parks, through the town, we saw it all. Felixstowe in spring has to be one of the most beautiful places to be. Cherry blossoms falling in the breeze, boats sailing the sea, children building sand castles and dogs chasing endless tennis balls. I couldn't ask for a more picturesque jog.

2 hours to complete 12 miles, which is a good time. To complete a full 12 hours, I don't want to be pushing too fast or too hard, this is most definitely not a sprint!

 

I have created an Event on my Facebook page, so please take a look at FB - RTHealthAndFitnessCoach to see what is going on.

If you would like to come to join in the fun, then camping passes are only £10 for 4 people and you get to "get involved" without the slog! 

 

Visit https://www.suffolktrailfestival.co.uk/ for details.

 

Last but not least, I am of course running in aid of British Heart Foundation. Heart disease is responsible for 40% of all deaths in the UK and the precursors to it start at the age of 3 years old. I want to help fund a healthier heart future. 

If you would like to donate to my cause then please click on my Paypal donation page below, or visit my Facebook page to donate to the cause.

Even a message of good luck helps, so any positive thoughts you can send are also very welcome.

by Rita

12 Hour Endurance Race In Aid Of British Heart Foundation

I am running a 12 hour endurance race as part of the Suffolk Trail Fest on Saturday 15th - Sunday 16th June. I will be starting my run at Midnight, going non-stop for 12 hours until noon on the Sunday. 

Obviously, my friends and family will be there enjoying the campsite, street food, drink stalls and live music...cheering me on in spirit whilst they keep theirs up with copious amounts of food and beer. 

I am running in aid of British Heart Foundation. Heart disease is the no. 1 cause of death in the UK and USA, with over 40% of all deaths resulting from a dodgy ticker. As you know I have two small boys, Charlie and George, and guess what...the precursors of heart disease start infecting the arteries from the age of 3! Yes 3 years old! I want my boys to have a healthy future and I want the same for every other man, woman and child out there.

I will keep you updated with weekly posts about my training and photo updates.

Please support the cause by donating now on my website Event Page and help me stop heartbreak forever!

 

by Rita

Eating For Your Body Type

The most important factor about any body-type is how you learn to work out and maintain it. There is no one perfect way, just as there is no perfect diet for everyone. Body-types are based on genetics, gender, age and location. This article will help you understand which type of body is best for your fitness goals.

 

What is an ectomorph body?

An ectomorph is a body type that lacks muscle mass. Ectomorphs can be lean and wiry or have little to none of it. They tend to have a higher metabolism, meaning they burn calories faster than other body types.

Ectomorphs are generally smaller than mesomorphs and endomorphs, with less fat on their bodies. They have small bones, which can make them appear frail and weak, but they usually have very high muscle-to-fat ratios, making them extremely athletic and strong.

 

What is a mesomorph body?

A mesomorph is a muscular and athletic build that has the ability to build muscle mass without having to work hard. The term "mesomorph" comes from the Greek word meaning "middle," which refers to people who have a balanced physique between lean and fat.

 

What is an endomorph body?

An endomorph body is one that is prone to fat accumulation. Endomorphs tend to have more body fat than ectomorphs, mesomorphs andectomorphs. They have a larger percentage of muscle mass than in the other body types.

An endomorph's body type can be defined as having a lot of fat but also having a large amount of muscle tissue. Bodybuilders are endomorphs as well as athletes who compete in endurance sports like marathon running or cycling. This type of body is not only ideal for athletic endeavors, but also for those who enjoy eating high-calorie foods because it helps them achieve their ideal weight quickly and easily.

 

Ectomorph Diet

If you have an ectomorphic body type, you may find yourself craving carbohydrates and protein-rich foods more than the average person. If this is the case for you, then it's important to eat a balanced diet that includes both healthy fats and carbohydrates.

Ectomorphs should also avoid eating foods high in saturated fat or trans fats. These types of foods can contribute to excess storage of body fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks area (known as "belly fat").

Ectomorphs should avoid high-fat foods like cream cheese, butter and mayonnaise because these contain too much fat for them to absorb properly. High-protein foods like chicken breasts or salmon should be eaten instead, as well as vegetables like broccoli or spinach with no added butter dressing or oil dressing.

 

Endomorph Diet

Aerobic exercise is best for weight loss, but an endomorph body type needs to be careful not to overdo it. If you're trying to lose weight and build muscle at the same time, make sure your cardio session is 60-90 minutes long, as this will give your muscles enough time to recover between sets.

If you have a hard time getting motivated to exercise, try incorporating some form of resistance training into your routine. This can be as simple as using free weights or as challenging as working out in the gym with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Endomorphs should also eat plenty of protein-rich foods such as meat and fish, eggs and dairy products throughout the day. They may also need extra calcium if they have low bone density or osteoporosis tendencies.

 

Mesomorph Diet

The best exercise for mesomorphs is cardio and strength training. Cardio exercise helps burn fat and keep your metabolism high. Strength training builds muscle, which makes you look better, feel better and increase your endurance so you can do more cardio.

Mesomorphs should eat plenty of protein-rich foods like lean meats and fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Mesomorphs also need more vegetables than most people, because they tend to be more active than other body types.

 

Knowing what your body-type is can help you decide on the best diet for your fitness goals. While we can't promise that getting fit and healthy is easy, it's possible. The key to getting started is knowing what your body type is (and your goals). That kind of starting point has never been easier to come by than it is now, with the rise of online fitness communities and resources. In short, there's nothing stopping you from living a healthier life now—and if you're anything like us, once you've started, you'll wonder why you waited so long!

by Rita