1) Eat more fiber, which can help to control blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. It also helps you feel full, so you will eat less and increase your chances of successfully losing body fat. Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds are great sources of fiber.
2) Drink green tea or black tea, both of which have cancer fighting anti-oxidants. They also provide cardiovascular benefits.
3) Eat berries, which contain phytochemicals, naturally occurring nutrients that help protect cells from damage. They are lower in sugar than many other fruits, which is great for fat loss, heart health and fighting diabetes. For more information on the benefits of berries check out this website: berryhealth.org
4) Improve your post workout meal to improve your body composition, performance, and overall recovery. Precision Nutrition explains in great detail here.
5) Use a foam roller to improve flexibility and movement efficiency, aid in muscle recovery and to reduce pain.
6) Do Yoga, which has a myriad of benefits, including increased strength and flexibility along with improved posture and alignment.
7) Eat a peach, not just the name of a great Allman Brothers Band album, but it is also a great idea for a healthy snack. Peaches are a low calorie, antioxidant rich food that is referred to in China as a symbol of good luck, protection, and longevity.
8) Eliminate sugary soft drinks from your diet. Beverages such as soda and iced tea contain useless calories that can derail your fat loss. Diet drinks are no better since artificial sweetener comes with its own set of risks.
9) Go dancing to burn more calories and enjoy life!
10) Take some rest from your workouts. If you are hitting it hard every day at the gym, then plan to take a few consecutive days off so your body can recover. Over training can lead to stress, injuries and poor results.
11) Train more like an athlete. You don’t have to be an athlete to train like one. Focus on getting stronger, leaner, and moving better by doing ground based exercises (with your feet or body on the ground, not with your butt on the seat). Athletic movements like running, stepping, hopping, lunging, rotating, jumping and crawling cannot be done while sitting.
12) Cut back on alcohol consumption. If you are trying to lose weight, alcohol can sabotage your efforts as you will take in far too many calories, slow your metabolism, and lower your food inhibitions.
13) Avoid crunches and situps. These exercises, when done improperly or to excess, can do damage to your back. The muscles of the core have a primary job, which is to prevent movement. Crunches and situps flex the spine repeatedly. Planks and anti-rotation exercises that strengthen the spinal stabilizers are safer and more effective.
