What Kind of Fuel do you put in your Gas Tank?

We all know when your gas tank has water in it, the engine knocks and pings. We also know you can’t hold a match to a tire and light it on fire. So why do we put the wrong fuel in our body and expect it to perform correctly? The truth is, we often fuel our tank with fast burning sugars, fats, etc. and wonder why we feel lazy and don't want to get out of bed.

I know this seems too simple, but it’s the truth. The strength we have can only come from the correct fuel put into our bodies.Eating lean meats, fresh produce and whole grain will give us the fuel our bodies are looking for. Quick fix, "gimmicky" diets with empty promises may seem like a simple solution, but won't be a long term solution to our bodies long term fuel needs. For a healthy, trimmer body, you must get the right fuel – good nutrition, less junk food and/or excess food in order to build muscle, and not fat.

Our body wants to be in motion and when we “top off” our gas tank with correct foods our metabolism will create a natural chain of events that will give us that “pep” in our step.Now, we aren’t saying throw away all your foods and go to the health food store and spend hundreds of dollars on protein whey, exotic fruits, and organic breads. We all have to start somewhere and by incorporating a small change today, you will create the small steps toward feeling and being healthy.

Some small changes that can make a difference–

*Use whole wheat pasta instead of enriched white pasta (For more flavor, throw a cube of boullion in with the boiling water to give the whole wheat pasta a little more "umph".)

* Use brown rice instead of enriched white rice

* Use all white ground turkey breast in place of ground hamburger

* Use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon

* Replace an egg with two egg whites

* Use equal amounts of applesauce in a baking recipe in place of the oil

Happy fueling, the right way!

Eristeo and Ronna