Tips for eating 7-9 servings of Fruits & Veggies per day
We thought 5 servings a day was hard – now the recommendation has been upped to 7-9 a day!
First of all, what constitutes a serving? A serving is about the size of your fist. (granted, we all have different size fists, but its a great tool to have a very close approximation of a serving)
With breakfast each morning have a piece of fruit, and if you like eggs for breakfast, make a scramble with lots of veggies. Fruit also makes a terrific mid-morning snack. At lunch, have a serving of carrots as a side – or better yet have a huge salad for lunch (that could take care of several servings). At dinner, two cooked veggies, or a large stir fry and a side of green salad. Some berries for dessert. And there you go. Depending on the size of your portions, that is 7-9 servings right there.
And finally, if you have not been eating any fruits and veggies, please don’t expect yourself to be able to eat 7-9 tomorrow! Build up to it. Start with 3 servings a day. In a week or two up it to 4 or 5. Ever week or two increase it and watch your energy level soar!
Tips for Drinking Enough Water
One of the best ways to get yourself to drink water is to start your day with water. Before you have anything else (before your breakfast, before your coffee) drink 8-10 oz of room temperature water. Then, wait about 10 minutes before you have anything else. You will crave water throughout the day. I have observed this in myself and most of my clients that I recommend this to come back and tell me that it did work for them – so give it a try!
Other ways to make water more enjoyable if you aren’t a “water person” is to flavor it with a bit of lemon, or drink it very cold or very warm. For some people, carrying a water bottle along is a great way to be reminded to “drink your water!” – for othere, keeping a bottle of water on the desk or somewhere that it will be seen throughout the day – again as a reminder.
Tips for Getting Going – starting an exercise habit
This is probably one of the hardest parts – and absolutely critical. Start with what seems do-able. Five minutes a day seems do-able? Then five minutes a day it is. Walk to the corner and back. Or jog in place during the commercial breaks of your favorite t.v. show. The benefits of being active are cumulative, so if you need to break it up into five one-minute segments, then do that to start! Just get moving, no matter how little. You can always increase it a little bit in a couple weeks.
