The Ultimate DIET

(or the “Do It Every Time” diet)

by Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN

Imagine a diet that includes ALL your favorite foods, and doesn’t require you to buy special foods or clear out (if not fumigate) all your cabinets or the shelves in your refrigerator. Imagine that from this point on, when you eat out with a friend, family member, or significant other, you’ll feel comfortable and relaxed (not anxious and unsatisfied) when ordering and eating your food. Take it a step further—imagine a diet that’s not something you repeatedly go on and off of, but one that you can live with day in and day out— one that actually becomes a way of life instead of a transient state of eating.

From now on, each and every time you eat, try to do all of the following. You’ll find that by following this “Do It Every Time” diet, you’ll not only eat more healthfully and mindfully, but you’ll likely shed a few pounds (or at least prevent further weight gain which typically happens as we age) and stay healthy and energized along the way. Read the rest of this entry »

Even if you’re sitting in coach, you can have first class arms with this arm exercise we call the First Class Flex.

Bring one arm straight out in front of you with hand flexed and fingers pointed toward the ceiling.  (By keeping hand in this position you will create tension throughout your arm.)  This movement is as challenging as you make it – think personal resistance.  Concentrate on the muscles of the arm throughout this exercise.  Start by making small pulses upward for 30 seconds. Once you’re finished, turn your arm so the palm of your hand faces outward. (See video.) Fingers are still extended. Continue with small pulses outward for 30 seconds. Then turn your arm so palm faces inward and pulse inward for 30 seconds. The arm should be straight throughout the entire exercise.  Do not relax the arm or hand.

You, too, can have first class arms with this toning exercise.

Click here to see all of the SqueezeItIn.com Travel Exercises.

This next idea idea from those fabulous gals Sue and Angelle of NourishMD is so simple it’s brilliant – and it works!  Follow the excellent tips in all four of their guest posts and you’ll be putting healthy, nutritious and delicious meals on the table in no time at all.

Thank you, NourishMD, for showing us how to easily squeeze so much REAL food into our lives!

Ever wonder how chefs can get so much food out to so many people so quickly?  It’s all about prepping.  The good news is you can get REAL food to your family REAL fast too with Step 3 of NourishMD.com’s One Easy System:  Prepping Made Simple.

Once you’ve Planned and Shopped for REAL food you need to prep your food so that it is easier and faster to grab REAL food snacks and meals than it is to drive through a drive through.

The key is to squeeze in some time once or twice a week to set-up your prep boxes just like chefs do before the restaurant opens for the evening.  Prep boxes (we like rectangular glass Pyrex dishes) are based on the ingredients you need for your planned weekly menu.   Some examples of prep boxes you will want to have in your fridge are: Read the rest of this entry »

Click here to see all of the SqueezeItIn.com Travel Exercises.

And get a move on!

Generous. Smart. Caring. Real.  We can’t say enough about our guest bloggers Sue and Angelle of NourishMD. They’re back this week to share another tool to help you keep it real at the grocery store:

In last week’s blog, you learned how 20 minutes a week spent on planning out your meals and snacks will increase your health.  You focused on adding more REAL food to your daily diet.  Now that you have your plan, it’s time to create your shopping list.  Taking 15-20 minutes to create a list will keep you on track when you get to the store.

Our free downloadable form will help ensure you have a good variety of Powerful Proteins, Friendly Fats and Colorful Carbs.  When your list is made, then you are ready to go shopping. Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s featured travel exercise is The Lift Off.

If you feel travel is a lot of hurry up and wait, why not use that time to tone up with this arm exercise?

Start in a seated position with your arms on the armrest and feet firmly planted on the floor in front of you.  Using only your arms, lift your body up out of the seat while your feet remain on the floor (see video). Slowly lower back down allowing your rear end to briefly touch down on the chair before going right back up again. Focus on using only your arms throughout this move and do not allow your legs do any of the work.  Keep your core engaged throughout this exercise. Continue for 2 sets of 12.

Variation:  Lift your whole body out of the chair (feet come off the floor). Hold for a 3-count of Squeeze-It-In and slowly lower body back into chair.  Complete 1 set of 12.

Click here to see all of the SqueezeItIn.com Travel Exercises.

And get a move on!

Sue and Angelle of NourishMD are back this week with the real story behind real food and how you can make your next shopping trip a “real” adventure:

We want to eat healthier.  We intend to most days.  Work, kids, appointments, and all the other daily responsibilities often get in the way of these good intentions.

There’s no way around it.  Eating REAL food, the food that our bodies thrive on, takes some planning.  Planning takes time and we don’t have a lot of time.  The good news is you don’t need a lot of time – maybe 20 minutes per week – and you will be on your way to creating better health for you and your family.  We can all squeeze in 20 minutes a week for better health, right? Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s featured travel exercise is the Baggage Handler.

Waiting for your bags to come off the carousel?  Take that time to tone your arms with this move!

Start with feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent.  Bring carry-on bag out to your side.  Slowly raise it up to shoulder height and hold for a 3-count of Squeeze-It-In before lowering it back down. Keep movement slow and controlled.  Continue with same arm for 2 sets of 12.  Repeat with other arm.

Click here to see all of the SqueezeItIn.com Travel Exercises.

And get a move on!

We want to welcome the fantastic ladies over at NourishMD – Sue and Angelle – to the SqueezeItIn guest blogger family! NourishMD is to food what SqueezeItIn is to exercise: NourishMD strives to create a vision of how to feed your family REAL food and incorporate healthy living into your busy life, everyday.  Read on and “get real” about what you’re eating:

Want to feel healthier in just a few weeks?  Squeeze more REAL food into your days!

REAL food is the food that your great-grandmother would have had in her kitchen.  It’s the food that has always been here – long before the era of artificially flavored, sweetened and colored genetically modified foods.   REAL food comes from nature, not a scientist in a white lab coat.  REAL food is what our bodies thrive on:  vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and high quality animal proteins.  These can be categorized as Powerful Proteins, Fabulous Fats and Colorful Carbs and can be enjoyed on their own or combined in a zillion ways to make delicious meals and snacks.  For lots of REAL food recipes click HERE.

The opposite of REAL food is fake food and it is what we are bombarded with these days.  When you pick up a packaged food, look at the ingredients.  If you see words like enriched flour; high fructose corn syrup; partially hydrogenated oil; artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners or any words you can’t pronounce, you’re looking at a fake food. (Think white lab coat.) Fake food promotes illness.  Leave it on the grocery store shelf.  Click HERE for more information on fake foods and how they impact your health. Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s featured travel exercise is the Turbulence Tap.

Turbulence got you trapped in your seat?  Use those bumps as a reminder to do the Turbulence Tap.

Part 1:  While seated, place feet firmly on the floor.  Lifting toes, come up onto your heels. Hold for a 3-count of Squeeze-It-In. Lower toes and raise heels off the ground.  Hold for a 3-count of Squeeze-It-In.  (See video.) Do at least 2 sets of 12.

Part 2:  While seated, come up onto your toes and  criss-cross legs back and forth for at least 30 seconds. (See video.)  Stay on your toes throughout movement and remember to engage your abs during this exercise.

Click here to see all of the SqueezeItIn.com Travel Exercises.

And get a move on!