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Two Reasons to Rotate Your Greens

Lean, mean Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym machines eat lots of leafy greens. And while you can never have too many greens, you can have too much of one green. Heavy, repeated consumption of a specific green can have unintended, negative effects. Plus, it is nutritionally limiting.

So, why should you rotate your greens?

  1. Nutritional Diversity. Rotate your greens to expand your consumption and absorption of health-supporting vitamins and minerals. Balance out your diet by selecting a variety of leafy goodness.
  2. Prevent Heavy Intake of Toxins. This is the biggest reason leafy green rotation is important. All leafy greens contain trace amounts of certain toxins because plants have an internal defense mechanism designed to prevent predation. These trace amounts of toxins can pile up in your own system if you consume lots and lots of a particular green. These toxins become especially damaging if you are already susceptible to certain medical conditions. For example, kale and brassicas contain goitrogens, which have the potential to interfere with or exacerbate thyroid conditions and thyroid functioning in susceptible individuals. Spinach contains high amounts of oxalic acid, which can also present problems.

The solution? Do not eat heavy amounts of the same green every day. Heavy equates to two or more cups of a particular green. Switch it up. Make sure, however, that the greens you are rotating are in different plant families.

The same phenomenon happens, though less often, with fruit. Certain fruits also contain trace amounts of toxins that, if consumed heavily, may present problems. The main reason to rotate your fruits, however, is to establish a balanced diet. The more you spice it up, the greater range of nutrients – vitamins and minerals – you receive.

A balanced, diverse diet supports your health so you can better meet your fitness goals at Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic club.

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A Helpful Resource: Get Drunk Not Fat

Okay, I am in no way condoning excess drinking or drinking to the point of drunkenness. In fact, I strongly believe that the best policy is to avoid drinking your calories altogether and just stick to water. However, especially during the heat of summer, I realize the temptation of a salacious mojito or a cooling alcoholic beverage. While water is definitely the best policy, I’m also a proponent of moderation in all things.

The thing is, I think people get carried away and forget the high caloric and carbohydrate density of alcoholic beverages. Inhibitions go out the door alongside the moderation in all things policy. No good. This excessive consumption has consequences on the physique more so than most people realize.

That’s why if you are going to drink, I believe you should do so mindfully and you should know exactly what you’re putting in your body and its impact. Most alcoholic options don’t have that handy dandy side label that spells out all the goodness (or junk) inside. This is where this resource comes into play: Get Drunk Not Fat.

“The Get Drunk Not Fat database displays beer calories, wine and alcohol calories and carbs sorted by their calorie to alcohol ratio.
Maximize your buzz by choosing drinks with the highest amount of calories from alcohol, not from fillers!”

Maximize not only your buzz, but also your bod. I know you’re doing hard work at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym, so it would be a bummer to blow it on booze. Fortunately, there are “healthier” booze beverages out there to choose from – options that won’t totally obliterate all the sweat and effort you have put in during your hours spent at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic center.

With this source, you can use a compressive drinking calculator to see the breakdown of data.

Here’s my test run. I want to drink a 12 oz. (standard sized) mojito. I’m female. I’m 125 lbs. I plan to drink 1 mojito during a one-hour period of time. What will be the damage done?

“After having 1 Mojito drink(s) in 1 hours, your Blood Alcohol Level is 0.027

Level of Drunkenness: Lightheaded: Relaxation, sense of warmth, minor impairment of judgment

You have consumed 212 calories.”

Well, now I know. Knowledge is power. Just imagine if I drank 3! That’s 636 calories – more than a quarter of my suggested daily caloric intake. That’s a lot of calories, with virtually no self-supporting nutritional qualities. Good to know.

Be aware. Drink mindfully. Support your wellness.

 

 

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5 Foods to Incorporate into Your Summer Diet

It’s important to seek foods that are seasonally appropriate. In the summer, this means choosing foods that are heat pacifying. At times we do this naturally. For example, no one in his or her right mind wants a hot, spicy bowl of chili in the dead heat of summer. Instead, one is more likely to go lusting after a bowl of ice cream.

In general, go for foods that are cooling and hydrating in the summer. Moderate your intake of caffeine and alcohol – both incredibly dehydrating. Also, reduce your consumption of hot, spicy, fermented, salty, oily, and fried foods. These foods are no good for digestion in the sweltering, sweaty summer months. Lastly, drink loads of water.

For some eating inspiration, here are a list of foods you should definitely incorporate into your diet to support your summer wellness:

  1. Coconut water. It is hydrating, refreshing, and it provides more electrolytes per serving that a banana! This is definitely an awesome recovery option post-workout at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym.
  2. Hydrating fruits. Select juicy fruits, including peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, pineapples, and cherries.
  3. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice is incredibly nutrient dense, containing loads of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins, vitamin K, phosphorus, calcium, and phytonutrients. These nutrients support the body’s immune system so it can ward off illnesses faster and more effectively. This way, you will stay healthy and strong for your Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym workouts.
  4. Fresh squeezed green drinks. Juicing is an effective way to get in a full serving of greens. Plus, juices are incredibly easy to digest and detoxifying. There’s no need to go crazy and pursue an extreme juice detox. Simply test out one creative juice concoction per week (or day if you want to be more intense about it). My favorite is the ABC drink consisting of apples, beets, and celery. There are many delicious green drink recipes out there so do your research.
  5. Mint. Cooling and refreshing, mint is perfect to include in your summer diet. Plus, it cleanses the palate, promotes digestion, and soothes an achy, upset stomach.

There you have it. Some seasonally appropriate foods to stay cool, calm, and collected this summer.

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