Urban ValYOU: Boost Yourself

Hi guys :)

As I noticed that a lot of people are concerned about their physical appearance, today's post will be all about this topic!
Let me ask you one question...

Are you satisfied with your actual self? A lot of people think that you can change your body by doing a simple diet, but they forget that exercising is the most important thing if you want to TRANSFORM.

I know…easy said…

A lot of people feel tired and sometimes it’s hard to find enough motivation to begin with your exercising, but there are many reasons why you actually should and why it’s good for you (especially if you want to lose fat):

Positives effects of Exercising:

Lifts your mood and keeps your brain and body fit
Reduces stress, makes you feel happier and boosts productivity
Boosts your immune system and has anti-aging effects
Improves your skin tone, your sleeping patterns and your eating habits
Gives you more strength and improves your body image
Strengthens your bones and heart
Reduces the feeling of depression and sadness
Increases energy, pain resistance and performance
Boosts your concentration, imagination and self-control
Decreases fatigue

In other words: exercising improves your quality of life.

So what can you do to improve your metabolism-functions?

Your metabolism is the system that transforms "what you eat and drink" into energy. This procedure can speed up or slow down at every moment.

Eat healthy fats

There is nothing better than a good
intense workout

There is a difference between good and bad fats.

Bad fats increase your cholesterol level and the risk of several diseases, while good fats boost your health. Healthy fats as for example olive oil, salmon and avocado will help you lose fat. Healthy fats are rich in omega-3 fats, which are fundamental for a physical, psychological, emotional and cognitive health.

Eat every 3 to 4 hours

Eating small meals every 3 to 4 hours is essential if you want to lose fat, which means that you have to eat 4 to 5 times a day. I know this sounds a little paradoxical but it WORKS.

„Eating small and balanced meals every 3 hours will boost your body’s fat-burning potential” - Fitness expert Jorge Cruise

If we don’t eat often enough, our body will go into a “starvation protection mode”. It will burn muscle instead of fat to produce energy. If you eat every 3 to 4 hours your metabolism will continually change so it can burn fat all day long.

Sleep at least 6 hours per day

Enough sleep will help your body to perform at its best. Sleep deprivation will signal your metabolism to slow down and to use less energy.

Drink enough water

Drinking enough water a day is the easiest effort you can include into your weight loss plan, because

1. It fills you up. Did you know that sometimes when you think you feel hungry you actually are thirsty! We confuse hunger with thirst, which lead to a wrong decision: we eat instead of drinking! So for the next time, first drink a glass of water and then if you still feel hungry, be free to eat something.

2. It boosts your metabolism

3. It keeps you healthy

One thing I noticed is that a lot of people do not really know what to eat before or after their workout? So here is a small list:

Pre-Workout High in Carbs	Post-Workout High in Proteins
Dried fruits Quinoa Fruit smoothie Apple slices (fresh or roasted) Rice cakes Almond butter Popcorn (unsalted) Hummus	Protein bars Chocolate milk Hard boiled eggs Cottage cheese Rice cakes Tomatoes Greek yoghurt Almond or soy milk