It’s SO important to fuel your body with the proper nutrients needed to function. Think of your body as the home (which it is!) for your organs- in your home, you need to take care of your appliances, complete chores, clean and pay your bills in order to live. If you don’t do all of those things, combined, your home will not have all properly functioning parts which will negatively impact your life. If your body is not properly fueled by clean, nutrient-based foods and vitamins, it may not function at its best.

1. Water- The best, calorie-free thing you can put in your body. Your body is made up of mostly water and needs water to replenish, refresh and maintain organs functions. Water helps boost your metabolism, fills you up, clears your skin of blemishes and most importantly keeps you hydrated. Aim to have at least half of your body weight, in ounces, a day. (120lb person should aim for at least 60oz. a day)
2. Multivitamins- As much as I try to be completely on point with my diet, sometimes I slip and don’t have enough vegetables or protein. I like taking a basic multivitamin to help give my body the necessary nutrients, just to be safe!
3. Food- FOOD IS FUEL. This is by far one of the biggest aspects of a healthy lifestyle, because what you put in your body is what your body uses to create energy, fuel your organs and maintain a healthy heart just to name a few! Fuel your body with clean proteins, colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and whole grains.

Cardiovascular/Aerobic exercise is great for the entire body. Cardio burns calories because it gets the heartrate up, while allowing you to continue burning calories long after you finish. It’s recommended to do cardio three times a week for 30-45 minutes, including a brief warm-up and cooldown. (A good-paced cardio workout is one where you cannot hold a conversation without feeling a bit out of breath.) Here are a few good ways to get your cardio in:

1. Running
2. Incline, fast-paced walking
3. Zumba or dancing
4. Cycling/Spinning
5. Interval training (my personal favorite) such as fast-paced walking (at an incline) for one minute followed by running for one minute, repeating for a 30 minute session (I like to throw in a backwards walk and side shuffle, to get my heart rate really increasing!)

Don’t be scared of the weights! I hear it SO often that “weights will make me bulky” or “lifting is for men.” WRONG. Weight-lifting is essential in a healthy workout regimen, because as cardio burns calories, weight training burns fat. Weight training will help tighten skin, too! If you don’t have muscle, you may feel as if you look flabby- that’s because lean muscle weighs more than fat but gives a much slimmer effect! Here is a great workout schedule to incorporate weight training:

1. Monday– Lower body weight training
2. Tuesday– Cardio and abs
3. Wednesday– Upper body weight training
4. Thursday– Cardio and abs
5. Friday– Total body weight training
6. Saturday & Sunday– Active rest day (walk, Pilates or yoga) & full rest day