For this interview, our team reached out to a certified personal trainer, who also carefully studies health through the lens of eating healthy. The following interview was conducted in order to help one of our teammates generate more accurate information to provide on his portion of the website.
1. How important is it for someone to live a healthy life? And how important is it to eat healthier at a younger age?
It is very important to live a healthy lifestyle. Numerous studies conducted over the years have proven that eating a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables along with exercise can reduce your risk of a variety of diseases and help you live a longer life. Practicing healthy living at a young age is important. It sets the foundation for your future and more importantly, an example for others to follow.
2. What are the benefits from dieting?
Dieting (not a word some nutritionist/personal trainers avoid using as it is more of a way of life), helps you practice clean eating by maintaining a lower calorie count and helps you become more aware of the foods you are putting into your body. However, one positive that comes out of dieting is the mentality to never give up or give in, that you are truly strong inside and can avoid giving up everything you've worked for.
3. What are some steps that one can take in order to live a healthier lifestyle (foods to avoids, exercises, portion controls?)
Some steps to take would be to increase your daily intake of fruits and veggies, as well as cutting out empty calories such as soda and sweets. One aspect to the health industry that is always overlooked is the importance of water; on average, the recommended amount an average person should drink per day is 8, eight-ounce glasses. Also, adding protein to your diet will help you stay full for longer periods of time, helping you avoid cravings for snacks throughout the day. As far as exercising goes, three times a week for 30 minutes would be extremely beneficial in maintaining a healthy weight.
4. What are some nutrition/ cooking tips to include more fruits and veggies into everyday food.
Some cooking tips that would be helpful to maintain a healthy lifestyle would be to grill, boil, and bake. Frying tends to add unwanted calories to your meal that will ultimately lead to the storage of fat. Limiting creamy sauces/salad dressings and opting for vinegar-based dressings is also recommended as it will help you keep you overall calorie count down. One protein-packed snack today that the fitness industry is raving about is powdered peanut butter as it is an incredible option to cut out tons of fat and calories.