Hungry for Better Health!

I just got back from a Bodies-in-Balance Seminar in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania. It was great—I taught a Kickboxing class for the Motion & Devotion ministry at a church over there, and then spoke an hour on dieting. Over 65 people were kicking and punching, and learning how to get in shape—and they were looking for answers too.

You know what really struck me? It was how hungry people are for better health, no matter where I go. I happened to be in Shrewsbury, PA (where?) but they’re just like us here. They’re all fighting to get their bodies back, too.

We covered the basics first. Like making sure you hit your minimum to make sure your metabolism doesn’t drag you down. For the average woman 5’2 and up, it’s about 1300-1400 calories. Petite women can get away with 1200-1300, and taller women 5’8 and up have to eat even more—just to hit their minimum. For men, it’s around 1800 calories.

To lose weight, the average woman needs to have a target around 1650 calories—for men, it’s about 2400 calories. It’s amazing to me how many people don’t eat enough!

We also talked about eating 3 smaller meals, and 2-3 snacks, and what a balanced meal looks like. We need a serving of Protein about the size of the palm of our hand. This can come from lean meat, fish, chicken, or a cup of a low-fat dairy product.

We need ONE high quality Starch—instead of all the junk we normally eat. Finally, we need to eat way more Fruits & Greens—to get all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber to help us feel better.
I also told them to choose low fat dairy products, dressings, etc… and then take an Omega-3 supplement daily (fish oil). Did you know that Omega-3 has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a brain food too? Kids have even gotten off Ritalin after their parents started giving them Omega-3.

We talked about drinking way more water—at least 3-4 20 oz bottles a day. Maybe 5-6 if you’re bigger, or very active. If we’re too acidic, we can have all kinds of problems, and water brings us back in balance.

Finally, we talked about staying active every day—we eat every day; what makes us think we don’t have to be active every day? They understood all that (it’s not rocket science—and I’m no rocket scientist either). During the question and answer session, though, it became clear that their struggles went deeper.

“We’ve been doing some of those things, but we just stopped.” Or, “I just can’t quit eating those _____ (fill in the blank).”People truly are the same everywhere, with the same needs, and same struggles. Next week, I’ll tell you about some of the issues that came up, and we’ll look at why diets fail. Until then, get off the junk, and get off the couch, too!