Most of us today have very busy lives dealing with our careers, families, friends, etc. This often leads to most of us living very unhealthy lives when it comes to other parts of our life, ESPECIALLY diet and exercise. During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States.* Everyday you turn the tv on or every magazine and newspaper article you read, you hear of the increasing numbers of those dying everyday from health related conditions (diabetes, heart disease, stroke...the list goes on and on)

Making time to make sure we take care of our bodies and health should become the number 1 priority. There are many excuses (believe me, I have used them all!) that can prevent us from even taking 30 minutes a day to devote to our bodies. Think about that...there are 24 hours in a day. Most people work a 9 to 5 and may avg around 5-6 hours of sleep. That leaves 10+ hours per day that the AVERAGE person has available to them. When most think of getting a workout in, it can seem overwhelming, especially when that "big" project is looming or little Billy needs to make it to soccer practice on time. These are all valid reasons to devote extra time to but no excuse to hit the "drive thru" day after day. After all, the body you have is the only one you will get this lifetime.

I like to tell clients that you have to treat your body like a baby. A baby is totally dependent on the parents to make sure they get adequate rest, proper food and stay active and take care of them. Likewise, our bodies depend on us in this same aspect. We are amazing beings if you really look at how the body works but it truly depends on us as individuals to provide it with the proper fuel and exercise to operate at peak performance. You would never put garbage in the gas tank of your $60,000 sports car...why would you load your body with it??? There are fast food places on every corner in America, which makes it no wonder we have such an obesity problem in the US. While we all have the need to indulge and have our little treats here and there, too many in America have turned to fast food in PLACE of balanced, home cooked meals. Following these tips below can help you get on the start to whittling down your waste line and feeling better!

1. Prepare meals in advance. This will help "commit" to eating what you make and not eating something quick and unhealthy.

2. Pack lunches for the entire family. Make it something all members of the family can help with. This helps control exactly what you eat instead of letting the Drive Thru dictate it!

3. Make a grocery list in advance and try to stick to the outer portions of the store. Most processed and fatty foods are located on the inner portion of the store. Pay attention the next

time you are grocery shopping and you will notice the fresh produce, fresh meats, dairy are all on the outer perimeter of the store.

4. Pay attention to Fat Free and Low Fat. While some foods may indeed be fat free, they can compensate for that with extra sugar, which is just as bad and in some cases, worse.

5. The fresher your selections, the healthier and better!

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm

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