Healthy Food

By Paul Federer

Whether you are socializing with friends or entertaining a client for business, you'll find yourself more often than not eating out at a restaurant of some sort. According to Heathline.com, "People dine out more frequently. Sixteen percent of all meals and snacks were eaten out in 1977-78; that rose to 27 percent in 1995."

For all of us who are looking to invest in our personal health this is alarming! You're telling me that more than a quarter of our meals will be eaten out? For traveling business people and extroverted socialites the amount of meals on the road is incrementally higher.

The Keystone forum proclaimed in May of 2006, "Frequently eating foods prepared away from home is associated with obesity, higher body fat and a higher BMI." Now that we know that "32 percent" of an average person's daily calories will be from a meal away from home, lets see how a wise road warrior should navigate the restaurant menu...

When you first look at the menu, AVOID THESE 3 THINGS AT ALL COSTS!

deep fried foods (anything battered that got a scorching bath of trans fats)
refined starchy foods
any sodas, juices, or other sugary foods (except whole fruits, which are great)

Think about how many times you eat out a week. These food sources do the worst damage in our food supply - trans fats, refined vegetable oils, refined starchy carbohydrates, and processed sugars.

Do not eat that heap of french fries that looks so delicious steaming on your plate! The mounds of pasta and rice that the restaurant "blesses" you with? A big no no. All of our bodies crave these carbohydrates at some time or another. The secret is after a high intensity resistance training workout, your body can handle a higher amount of carbs than normal to help replenish the muscle glycogen depletion you had during the intense workout.

Just kindly ask your server for the side salad with dressing on the side, and/or a plate of steamed vegetables to substitute and you have made one huge step toward eating like a wise road warrior should. Most restaurants will allow this healthy option for you if they offer burgers and fries.

For the competent road warrior (all of us) you should eliminate sodas and fries from your diet all together. You are what you eat, and your body is not mocked! I learned about the importance of a disciplined diet from nutritionist and trainer Mike Geary. His philosophy which is geared toward increasing your metabolic rate, has transformed me into the lean, mean road warrior you see today.

So instead of
Burger or sandwich or burger
chips or fries
soda or other sweetened drink (and no, diet sodas are NOT healthy!)

Try this:
Burger or Sandwich
Salad or veggies
unsweetened iced tea or water (diet drinks are poison by the way)

What will these changes do for you? You'll avoid 400 - 900 calories for each meal that you choose to invest in your health and body! Imagine how many calories over a week, month, and year you would be saving just from this one subtle change! The next time you eat out, you will be equipped with the knowledge of a wise road warrior. Why are you putting your health on the back-burner? Enjoy life with the body you deserve.