By: Jen Paleracaio, Health Coach,  · Plan ahead and be sure to not skip meals and you’re sure to notice a difference in how you feel and will usually end up eating fewer calories

By:JenPaleracaio,HealthCoach,www.leanbellaskitchen.com

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WELCOME!

Thank you for downloading this guide!

It doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming to start implementinghealthier habits. I wanted to share some of what I’ve learned, both from mypersonal journey aswell as frommy education, experience andmentors in thefieldofhealth,fitnessandnutrition.

In this e-guide, I share several important key tips to help you on your way toimplementing healthier habits. It’s important to understand that real changedoesn’t happenover night, even thoughwe reallywant it to! Change iswhathappenswhenwedecidewenolongerwanttosettleforhowwefeelorlookandwe are truly ready to make a lifestyle shift (no crazy diets, pills, potions or“tricks”).Thebottomlineis,youhavetoDECIDE–nothalfheartedly,butwithallyourbeing,decidethatyouwillstarttodayandmakeitapriority.

Decidethatyourcomfortzoneisnolongerservingyouandyou’rereadytostepoutandfindtheoldyou…ormaybeeventheNEWyou!

I’dlovetohearfromyou!

StopbymyFacebookpagewithquestions,commentsor toshareprogress.YoucanfindmeunderLeanBellasKitchen.

Link:https://www.facebook.com/Lean-Bellas-Kitchen-948246668589049/

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JENPALERACIO

AREYOUREADYTODIVEIN?GOOD!LET’SGETSTARTED.

I am a mom of 2 wonderful girls and also aHealthandFitnessCoach.IamalsoastudentofIIN studying to be an Integrative NutritionCoach. I love to createquick, easy, healthybutfabulous tasting recipes and share them witheveryone who wants to transform and lead ahealthierandhappierlife.

Please subscribe towww.leanbellaskitchen.comtoreceivemyfreerecipesandtipsonstayingontrackwithyourhealthandwellness.

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WHYRESTRICTIVEDIETSDON’TWORK

AccordingtoDr.Oz,“Theproblemwithseverelyrestrictingdietsisthattheyjoltyourbodyintostarvationmode,preventingyourbody fromburningunwanted fatand storingmore fat andcaloriesforyoutosurviveon.Whenthebodycannolongergetitscaloriesfromfooditlookstoget someof it calories from leanmuscle.This results inmuscle loss. Lessmusclemeansaslowermetabolicratecausingstalledweightlossorevenworse-weightgain.”

Themosteffectivewaytoloseweightandkeepitoff is to focus on adding in healthy habits. Ahealthylifestyleisnotaboutbeingona‘diet’,it’sabout learninghow tonourish yourbody so youcanthrive–notfeeldeprived.

It’seasytogetoverwhelmed,impatientandwantresults NOW, but by making small changes youcan livewith for the rest of your life, the betteryourchancesareforsuccess.Thisisalsothebestwaytogetoffofthedietrollercoasterforgood.

Youprobablyknowbynowthattherearenoquick fixeswhen itcomes to losing weight for thelong termwhile also supportingyourhealth.

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Itcanbeconfusingtoknowwheretobegin,soI’msharing10simplebuteffective,strategiesyoucanincorporatetohelpyouontheroadtolivingahealthier,happierandmorebalancedlife.

Startwith1or2habitsatatimethenbuildonthosesuccessesbyadding1or2more.Slowandsteadyreallyisthewaytogosothatyouincorporatethesehabitsaspartofyourlifestyle.

Youcanstartwiththesimplesthabitfirstandgofromthereifyoulike.Don’tgetoverwhelmed–juststartwithONEthing.Writeitdownsomewhereasareminder.

Grabyoursmartphone,iPad,tabletorpadofpaperaswegetstarted.Bytheway,agreat,freesmartphoneappfortrackingyourhabitsiscalled“GoodHabits”.Youcanenterupto3habitsandsetitupsothatyougetadailyreminder.Awesome!

Check off the first 1-2 habits you want to start with this week. Imagine if you were toincorporateeven1newhabiteachmonthforayear–amazingthingswouldhappen!

1. GETENOUGHSLEEP

Thismayseemlikeastrangeplacetostart,butit’sso important that I’m putting it on the top of thelist.Why?Let’sfaceit,whenwe’retiredwetendtomakefewerhealthychoices throughoutthedayand reach for the quick-fix energy boostweneed,often in the form of sugar-filled options andprocessedsnacks.

Lack of sleep disrupts circadian rhythms and canlead to inefficient body regulation of energybalance,metabolismandappetite.Abnormalleptinand ghrelin levels – hormones that tell your bodyit’s full – can go awry when your body isn’t fullyrested.

Togetmoresleep,setagoalofwhattimeyouneedto be in bed each night to get the 7-9 hours youneed.Tryitthisweekandseewhatdifferenceyounotice,bothinhowyoufeelandyourappetite.

I’m committing to getting _______ hours of sleepeachnightthisweek.

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2. REDUCESTRESS

3. DON’TSKIPMEALS

It’scommonforpeopletothinkthatwhentheyskipameal,theyare‘saving’calories. Whathappensthough is itbackfiresandbymidafternoonorearlyevening, they’restarving. Then

Irealizethisisnotalwaysaneasythingtodo.Mostofusarejuggling way too much and going through the day at warpspeed, trying to getmore andmore done. By having a highstresslevel,notonlyisitharmfultoyourhealth,it’sharmfultoyourwaistlineaswell.

When you are constantly under stress, hormone levels, likecortisol and insulin are elevated. The elevation of these 2hormones can sabotage yourweight loss efforts and actuallycauseweightgain.

‘Feeling stressed can create a wide variety of physiologicalchanges, such as impairing digestion, excretion of valuablenutrients, decreasing beneficial gut flora populations,decreasing your metabolism, and raising triglycerides,cholesterol,insulin,andcortisollevels.’–Mercola.com

So, while you may think you can “handle it” as far as yourstress level goes,we aren’tmeant to be under constant stressandittakesitstoll.Ifyouaredoingeverythingrightasfarasdietandexercisebutyou’reunderstresseveryday,you’renotgoingtoseeorfeeltheresultsyouwant.

Whataresomewaysyoucanreduceyourstresslevel?Istheresomethingyoucanstartwiththisweekorthismonth?

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theyfeelliketheyhaveno‘willpower’.Ourbodyneedsfuelintheformoffoodtofunction,sowhenit’sdeprived, itscreamsoutforwhat itneeds–food! Willpower isnomatchandthentheyendupfeelingguilty.Skippingmealssetsyouupforfailureandfeelingguilty.

Eat3mealsadayandhealthysnackswhenneeded.You’llnoticeyougetthroughthedaywithmore energy and when you plan your meals out during the day, you can make healthierchoices.It’smucheasiertomakeunhealthychoiceswhenyouneedtoeatsomethingnowandyoujustgrabtheclosestthingyoucanfind.

Planaheadandbesuretonotskipmealsandyou’resuretonoticeadifferenceinhowyoufeelandwillusuallyendupeatingfewercaloriesduringtheday.

4. TRADEOUTYOURBEVERAGE

Areallyeasywaytoimproveyourhealthandloseweightistotradeoutyoursoda(regularordiet),flavoredcoffeedrinksorothercalorieorartificiallysweetenedbeverage.

Formostofus,it’sjustahabitwe’veformed.Whatisthetrigger for you? Is it going by the cafeteria, fast fooddrive-thruorthestashinyourfridgeorpantrymaybe?

Studiesshowthatevendietsodaincreasesourappetite.So,whilethedrinkitselfmaybezerocalories,youendupeatingmorefoodtogoalongwithit.

Ifyou’readdictedtothecaffeine,youmaywanttostartoutcuttingyourconsumptionin½foraweekorsoandseehowyoudo.

Decide what you can drink instead. You can tryunsweetened iced tea, water with fresh fruit orunflavoredcarbonatedwaterwithasplashoffruitjuiceifyoujustneedsomefizzinyourdrink.

Bytradingoutyoursugarorchemical-filledbeverageforwater you’re giving your body what it needs – properhydration.

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5. EATCARBSTHATFUELYOURBODY

6. CHOOSEHEALTHYFATSFACT:Ourbodyneedsfatinordertofunctionoptimally.

The body utilizes dietary fat for energy, healthy hair, skin and nails, vitamin absorption andnormal,everydaybodilyfunctions.

Good fats promote several health benefits such as protection against heart disease, cancer,Alzheimer’s,anddepression,aswellasreducedbloodpressureandlowercholesterol.Choose

Our body needs carbs, but just the right kind.Refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta,cerealandprocessedsnacksarelackinginnutrientsand leave us hungry again a short time later.Complex carbohydrates from foods like fruits,vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumescontain fiberandnutrientsthat fuelusandhelpusfeelfulllonger.

Ifyoucanfinditinnature(asopposedtoapackagewithalonglistof ingredients), it’saprettysafebetit’sagoodchoice.

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sourcessuchasnuts,seeds,fish,avocadosandextravirginoliveoil.–InstituteforIntegrativeNutrition

Anothergoodsourceofhealthyfatiscoconutoil,whichcanbeusedforcookingandbakingandit’salsogreatinsmoothies.

ThelowfatdietcrazecausedmostAmericanstofearallsourcesofdietaryfat,eventheonesthatweneedtothrive.Duringthistime,fatwasreplacedwithsugarandotheradditivestogivefoods the flavor and consistency they needed. Unfortunately, this period of time was alsowhentheratesofobesity,diabetesandheartdiseaseskyrocketedinthiscountry.

Alittlegoesalongway,sodon'toverdoit.Justincludealittlefatateachmealtohelpyoustaysatiatedlonger.

7. FOCUSONLEANPROTEIN

Consumingenoughproteinisanotherwaytoimproveyourenergyandstaysatiatedlongerafteryourmeal.

Our bodies require protein for cell renewal,stabilizingourbloodsugar,andprovidingusthe energy we need. Many foods containprotein, but some of the best sourcesinclude:fish,dairy,meatandeggs,aswellasplantsourceslikeseeds,nutandbeans.

Be aware of your protein consumption andobserve how you feelwhen you havemorevs. when you have less to determine whatworks best for you. Also, be aware thatquality matters – grass-fed beef and free-range chicken are healthier protein sourcesthan feed-lot meats. Choose organic whenpossible for foods like dairy, eggs, peanutbutterandsoyproducts

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“Letfoodbethymedicineandmedicinebethyfood.”

Ø –HIPPOCRATES

8. GETMOVING

Exercise actually gives us energy! Think about how you feel after sitting around for hours,versushowyoufeelwhenyou’reupmovingaround.Youjustfeelbetterwhenyou’reactive.

Youdon’thavetospendcountlesshoursatthegymtoreapsignificantbenefitsfromexercise.

You can start with something simple like a 20-minutewalk if you’re just getting back to anexerciseroutine. Lookatwaysyoucanaddmoreactivity intoyourday–ashortwalkduringlunch, another walk after work perhaps.Maybe two 10-minute walks each day would workbetterforyou,thanone20-minutewalk.

Havinganactivity tracker likeaFitbitorpedometer isagreatwaytoseehowactiveyouareandgetanideaofhowmanycaloriesyouburnduringtheday.It’sfunandmotivatingtoseehowmanystepsyoutakeinaday.

Findafriendorcoworkerthathassimilargoalsandfigureoutsomethingyoucandotogethertohelpkeepeachotheraccountable.

Doyouprefer toworkoutathome?Great!Thereareendlessoptionsofworkouts to choosefromforeveryfitnesslevel.OptionsincludeexerciseDVD’s,onlineworkouts,fitnessappsandmore.Letmeknowifyouneedsuggestions.

Joinagym. Thegym isnicebecauseyour routine isnotaffectedby theweather. If youcaninvestinapersonaltrainertogetyoustarted,thatcanbehelpfultoboostyourconfidenceandknowledgeinhowtousethemachinesaswellasmakingsureyou’reusingproperform.

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Ifyouhavetakenalongbreakfromexercising,don’tsetyourselfupfordisappointment–haverealisticexpectationsandbeokaywithfeelinglikeabeginneragain.It’sokay–juststartwhereyouarerightnowandbuildonit.

Note:Alwayscheckwithyourdoctorbeforestartinganewexerciseprogram.

9. PREPAREMOREMEALSATHOME

10. KEEPTRACKKeepingtrackofwhatyoueatcanbeprettyeasythankstoallthehandyappswehaveavailableatourfingertips.

My favorite food tracking apps are MyFitnessPal and LoseIt. You’ll be surprised what youdiscover when you start tracking. Just remember, quality counts and it’s not just about thenumberofcalories.100caloriesofcookiesisnotthesameas100caloriesofveggiesasfarasnutrientsandfuelingyourbodyisconcerned.

Cooking meals at home allows you tocontrol the quality, calories and portionsizes, of your food. Do you notice howmuchfoodyou’reservedwhenyougotoarestaurant? Crazy! Whenwehavemorefoodinfrontofus,we’lleatmorewithoutrealizingit.

Bonus: preparing meals at home savesmoneytoo.Planyourweekoutinadvanceand see which nights you can cook athome. The crockpot becomes my bestfriendonbusydays.Ilookatmycalendarfor the week ahead and whichever daysarehectic,thosearecrockpotnights–easybreezy!

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Fortracking,youalsowanttotrackthenutrients (or lackofnutrients) in foods. Readingthenutritionlabeliskey.Wehavegrownsoaccustomedtofocusonthecalorieslistedonthefoodlabel,butnottheingredients.

Lookforfoodsthathavetheshortestlistofingredientsandthosethatyourecognize.Ifit’salonglistofingredientswithwordsthataredifficulttopronounceoryoudon’tknowwhattheyare,putitbackontheshelfandlookforsomethingelse.

TIP:Ilikethe‘Fooducate’app,whichallowsyoutocanscanthebarcodeonfoodpackagesandseewhatgradethefoodscoresalongwiththereasonforthegrade.Veryhelpful!

“Thekeytomakinghealthydecisionsistorespect

yourfutureself.

Honorhimorher.Treathimorherlikeyouwouldtreat

afriendoralovedone.”

Ø A.J.Jacobs

STARTTODAY

Decideon1or2healthyhabitstostartwithtoday.

Startwiththeeasiestoneifyouwant.

When you startmaking choices based on the answer tothequestion“Isthisgoingtofeedmybodywhatittrulyneeds?” instead of “What’s the quickest thing I can findrightnow”andaskyourself“Willthisgetmeclosertoorfurtherfrommygoals?”onaregularbasis,decisionsshift,behaviorsarechangedandyouwillfeelmuchbetter.

Thebestpartisonceyou’reontheroadtothathealthierlifestyle, knowing itwill be for the rest of your life, youWILLlosetheweightanditwon’tfeellikedeprivation.

ItwillfeellikethenewYOU.

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Ifindthatsooften,peoplewanttoliveahealthierlife,buttheyjustaren’tsurehowtofitallthe pieces together to make a plan or they don’t know where to begin. It can be quiteoverwhelming!

Inthoseinstances,it’sgreattohaveaknowledgeableadvisor,likeahealthcoach,towalkyouthroughastep-by-stepplantoimplementhealthiereatingandlifestylehabits.

ContactmetodaytoscheduleyourfreeHealthStrategySessiontoexplorehowIcanassistyouinachievingyourhealthandfitnessgoals.

Inhealthandhappiness,

Jen

HealthandFitnessCoach

[email protected]

Youcandothis!I’mrootingforyou!

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Theinformationprovidedisnotasubstituteformedicalcareoradvice.Informationprovidedisforeducationalpurposesonlyandisnotintendedtodiagnose,treat,cure,orpreventanydisease.Consultyourdoctoraboutmakingdietandlifestylechangesthatarerightforyou.