Five mistakes healthy people make

Even the health conscious – those who exercise regularly, watch what they eat, keep up to date on the latest health issues, don’t eat fast food and don’t binge on sugar – have a few unhealthy skeletons in their closet. They are probably unaware of these common mistakes.

1. Dehydration
   • Seventy-five percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. Not many people drink eight glasses of water each day.
   • Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves the body than is taken in. Symptoms include fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate and in extreme cases, even death.
   • Dehydration also slows metabolism, which hinders weight loss.Once the feeling of thirst or dry mouth hits, damage has already been done and dehydration has occurred. Instead, constantly rehydrate throughout the day to avoid dehydration. The best way to do this is to incorporate water into the daily schedule. Keep a water bottle at your desk and train yourself to sip on it often. Make it a habit to drink a full glass of water with each meal and snack.
2. Eating out too often
   • Research suggests that most people eat out one out of every four meals and snacks. That’s an average of once a day.
   • Restaurant food is designed to do one thing: taste good. To increase eating pleasure, each item is loaded with fat, salt and sugar. This causes you to eat more calories than you actually need.
   • Even when ordering “healthy” items, you’re still taking in more calories and fat grams than if you had prepared the item at home. Salads usually come with cream dressing, croutons, cheese sprinkles and a piece of butter-laden bread on the side.
   The main reason people eat out is for convenience, so with a little organization, preparing your own meals takes less time than you think. When life is less hectic on the weekend, that’s a good time to plan out meals for the week, go to the grocery store and get everything needed for those meals.Pack lunch and snacks each night before bed so they are easy to grab. When preparing dinners, make enough for another meal so it can be a leftover later in the week or frozen for another day. The effort will pay off in weight loss and money saved.
3. Not getting enough sleep
   • In Gallup Poll surveys, 56 percent of the adult population reported that drowsiness is a problem in the daytime. That’s more than half of us who clearly don’t get enough sleep.
   • Healthy adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Failing to meet this need causes sleep debt, which continues to accumulate indefinitely.
   • Lack of sleep negatively affects the immune system, nervous system and interferes with healthy hormone release and cellular repairs.The best way to combat sleep deprivation is to set a scheduled bedtime. Your body will benefit from a consistent sleeping and waking routine, and you’re sure to get all the rest you need.
   If you have trouble falling asleep once in bed, then try these two tips: First, don’t drink any caffeinated beverages after lunchtime. Second, don’t eat for three hours before going to bed. This helps eliminate sleeplessness due to indigestion and will also turbo-charge weight loss.
4. Stress
   • I don’t have to tell you that we are living in a fast-paced world and most of us have stress levels that are through the roof. But what you might not realize is your stress levels are making you fat.
   • Stress creates an increase in the hormone cortisol and chronic stress creates a chronic increase in cortisol. This is a problem because is slows metabolism, leads to cravings and is linked to greater levels of abdominal fat storage.
   • The vicious cycle of stress and weight gain goes around and around. Stress causes emotional eating, and raised cortisol levels cause food to be stored as fat.
   One of the most effective ways to instantly eliminate stress is to write out a list of all the things bothering you. This should include things that you need to get done, issues that weigh on your mind and anything you believe contributes to your stress level.Once it’s all down on paper, organize it like a to-do list and start resolving each item. Doing so will get the stress off your mind and will put your body in motion for resolving each issue.
5. Exercise autopilot
   • Many people do the exact same thing during each exercise session – same machines, same pace, same duration. While that routine sure feels comfortable, the results have long since halted.
   • A plateau occurs when the body adapts to the routine and weight loss stops. It is incredibly frustrating and avoidable.
   • It’s not about increasing the amount of time spent exercising to see quicker, faster results. It’s all about challenging the body.There are two simple ways to instantly increase the effectiveness of an exercise routine. First, increase the pace. Second, increase the intensity. Constantly vary the speed and intensity to keep muscles guessing and adapting.
   Another way to break through the exercise plateau is do something new. Switch to free weights if you regularly use weight machines. If you normally jog on the treadmill, then start using the bike.

Are you ready to break the plateau, as you take your routine to the next level?David Corder NSCA-CPTwww.perfectfitwc.comGourmet Open-Faced Salmon SandwichOpen-faced sandwiches are great for cutting out extra calories while trying to lose weight. This recipe calls for sprouted grain bread, which is flourless bread that is densely packed with nutrients. Store your sprouted grain bread in the freezer, since it is made without preservatives or chemicals to promote shelf life. Yield: 2 servingsHere’s what you need:1 sprouted grain bun2 tablespoons hummus1/2 cup arugulaHalf of an avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced6 oz smoked salmon2 thin slices of onion4 slices of heirloom tomatoSalt and pepper to taste1. Spread each piece of the bun with 1 tablespoon of hummus. Top each with half the arugula, avocado, salmon, onions, and tomato.2. Season with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 267 calories, 9g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber and 22g protein.