The Warm Season Is Coming: Shape Up with a Few Modifications!

You are what you eat. It doesn't mean that you are going to be skinny if you eat a skinny person, of course. However, getting your plate in shape is definitely going to help with your own shape. That, leads to our topic today: March, the national nutrition month is coming! The theme this year is "Get Your Plate in Shape."

        Boston is always like this: before you realize that spring is coming, summer would be around the corner waiting for you to put on your shorts and dresses. I know that most of us have piled up a few pounds during the cold winter to keep us warm, nothing to be shame about, but it's time to let them go. So why not take national nutrition month as an opportunity to shape us up before the show time comes?

The following tips might help you get back on track with just a few modification of what you might have been doing:

More fruits and veggies

• Try adding a variety of fruits and vegetables as pizza topping (broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, and pineapples, just to name a few).
• Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite lowfat salad dressing for dipping.
• Instead of having two cups of icecream which makes you feel guilty, have one cup of frozen fruits mixed with one cup of icecream to make it as satisfied but a lot healthier.

More whole grains!

• Try replacing your white rice with brown rice or even black, purple, red rice.
• Try whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
• Choose cereals with a whole wheat stamp on it, and a lot of them are tasty.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat dairy products

• Fatfree milk is more desirable, but 1% is still better than 2%.
• Lowfat version of frozen desserts could be as enjoyable as icecream, don't say no before you try it.

Be physically active your own way

• You know how precious a bright sunny day is in Boston, grasp every opportunity to walk, jog, hike, or just simply play under the sun!
• Clean your house, apartment, or your dorm room often. House work burns calories as well.
• If you gotta do something during your favorite drama, stretch rather than eat.

Finally, remember to give yourself a break once in a while if you ever get tired about "behaving well". Treat yourself with foods you really wanted without feeling guilty for a day and then you will find yourself ready to go again!