Wednesday Guest Blog

Every Wednesday is going to be Guest Blog Day! This is something that makes me happy. You will love hearing from these girls. 

So here you go...guest blog one!

Hello dear ones. I’m Kate, Shelby’s cousin. And this is my blogging debut!

So….bear with me. I’m new at this.

In my posts you will find tips for healthy living, exercise, and recipes.

Here’s a little about me. I am 5’2 on a good day. Blonde.  And sassy.  Excising and healthy eating are hobbies, not my obsession.

If you are 5 feet tall, followed by a small number of inches, you know that exercise is not an option if you want to maintain a healthy weight. Not very much extra space for those lbs to go if ya know what I’m sayin…

Most of what you will read here are things I have learned and read about over the past few years and hopefully you will benefit from too.

I’ll start with some common nutrition mistakes we are all bound to make.

1.  You boil your veggies.

You’re on a veggie kick. ( It’s summer, who isn’t?) Fresh squash and broccoli are delish, especially from mine and Shelby’s Papaw’s garden! But… you are boiling them, losing all the good vitamins (B, C, folate) in the water, and when you drain the veggies, you drain the good stuff too. So, pull out that ol steamer. Or microwave them in those nifty Ziploc steamer bags.

2.  You choose chicken over beef at restaurants.

Okay, so for those of you who can’t kick Whataburger to the curb, at least make “healthier” decisions while you are there. Most people who are health conscious pick chicken over beef anytime, anywhere. Don’t do it. Chicken sandwiches are often swimming in sodium to keep them moist.  You have a 2,300mg-per-day sodium budget. Take a minute to scan the restaurant’s nutrition data—online, in-store, or from a smart phone for fat and sodium content

3. You make time for the gym but skip the pre-workout snack to save on calories.

“Think of a pre-workout snack as fueling, not filling,” says fitness expert Myatt Murphy, CSCS.”  Aim for 100 to 200 calories, just enough to give you enough energy for exercise. Too much food and your stomach works to digest that food instead.  Thirty minutes before exercise is good.

4.  You think you’re buying lean meat.

The “80/20” percentage you see on packages refers to the proportion of fat and protein in the grind, not the proportion of calories. Fat contains more than twice the calories of protein. So, 20% of fat by weight contributes 72% of the total calories in a 3.5-ounce portion of raw ground beef, or about 180 of the 250 total calories.
So now what?! Buy a much leaner grind, such as 90/10, or ask for a lean whole cut like sirloin or brisket to be custom ground for you, which will be fresher anyway.

*These tips along with others can be found on www.cookinglight.com

Hope these are helpful reminders! Now go whip up some steamed veggies and lean beef. Gotta go, I’m hungry.