Be Broncho Fit!

Snack Your Way to Good Nutrition!

In today’s world of fast food restaurants and dollar menu items it can be nearly impossible to make good nutritional choices. With a few of these “dollar menu” items, an individual can almost reach half of the daily recommended caloric intake of 2,000 calories. So what is the answer to break free of the ease of fast food and start feeding your body so that it is no longer nutritionally starving? The answer is to snack your heart out! The key to making this work is to simply snack on healthy, high-nutrition snacks.

Since we were children, we’ve always heard that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day”. Why is this? This mentality was formed because of the fact that people who ate breakfast tended to consume less calories throughout the day! So why don’t we just start eating right first thing in the morning? Here are a list of easy snacks that may cut the calories, but are full of flavor!

Morning time snacks:

cereal with yogurt (your flavor of choice) and a handful of blueberries.
boiled egg whites with fat-free cottage cheese.
sliced apple pieces with peanut butter.
yogurt with a handful of roasted almonds.
oatmeal with raspberries/blueberries and a teaspoon of peanut butter.
WATER WATER WATER.

Making a choice like one of these early in the morning can kickstart your morning and influence you throughout the day to make healthier dietary choices. Never be afraid to break out of your old routine! And always remember, the brighter the color of the food, the better it is for you in most cases!

Lunch time snacks:

any 2 fresh fruits of your choice (the original “fast food”)
slice one whole cucumber and lightly salt or dip in fat-free ranch (in place of the usual bag of chips).
grab a handful or two of almonds or walnuts (great unsaturated fats).
celery sticks with peanut butter (even with a few chocolate chips)
pita chips dipped in guacamole or hummus. (avocados are a super food!)
25 frozen grapes.
WATER WATER WATER.

Remember that your body’s feeling of “hunger” is its way to tell you that it needs nutrition, not junk food (empty calories). The next time you are thinking about what you should grab before you run off to your busy life, slow down and snack your way to better nutrition!

Malaki Bolton
Blog Bros

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Buddy Broncho

Benefits of Physical Activity

Why is physical activity important? In today’s superficial society looks are everything. It seems that everyone is desperate to be tan and toned and will go to extremes to get there. However being physically fit and active is more than meets the eye. There are numerous mental and physical benefits to being physical active.

-Increased Energy
When you are involved in physical activity and are making your body do more than pick up the remote, blood vessels to your muscles dilate causing an increase in oxygen and blood flow. At the same time, your metabolic rate is increased which gives you a feeling of increased energy. The good thing about this is that it is not just a momentary burst of energy during your workout but lasts well after your workout.

-Stress Relief
During a workout or physical activity, the hormone epinephrine, adrenaline, is increased. This hormone is responsible for blood flow that in turn supplies the brain with oxygen making you more alert. Being alert makes you aware of your surroundings and helps deal with stress more efficiently and effectively. Endorphins also known as “feel good hormones” are released as well as adrenaline, which improves mood and feeling which in most counters the feeling of stress.

-Decreased Risk of Illness
Exercise is known to improve circulation of white blood cells, which are used to fight of harmful bacteria. Because of this, we are able to more efficiently prevent illness. However when we do get sick, because of the increased circulation of blood cells, we are able to more efficiently become well again.

-Improve Physical Appearance
Along with a healthy diet, increased physical activity expends energy and burns fat. Burning excess fat and unwanted “baggage” increases not only our health, but is the most effective way to achieve the physical goals you are striving for. With that being said, weight loss is not the only way to improve your physical appearance. A well designed strength training program also improves muscle definition, even without weight loss. And for those that are worried about resistance training making them bulky, most introductory resistance training programs will improve strength and definition, without adding a great deal of muscle size. However, the intensity of strength training will determine the amount of gains in muscle size and definition.

There are countless benefits to working out and becoming more physically active, many of the psychological benefits are not well known. It doesn’t matter if it is hitting the gym for an hour, playing a game of pick-up basketball, or even walking the dog, anything is better than nothing. With dedication and motivation, anyone can achieve the goals they are striving to achieve.

-Kyle Knouse
-Blog Bros

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Buddy Broncho

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