Alachua Personal Trainer Reveals Top 10 Healthy Super Bowl Sunday Tips To Cut Thousands of Calories

Jan. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, the time is now to start prepping for the smorgasbord of goodies for your football party. However, why not make a couple tweaks to some of your favorite party food recipes to make them healthier and more figure-friendly come kickoff?

If you use the following strategies below, you will literally save yourself thousands of calories and prevent the dreaded Monday morning Super Bowl bloat:

1.) GO NAKED: Replace all buns and breading for sandwiches with a lettuce wrap alternative to cut calories, stabilize blood sugar, and boost fiber and micronutrient intake.

2.) HYDRATE: Drink at least two to four cups of water before eating AND one to two cups every 15-30 minutes after you start eating to fill your stomach and prevent overeating that can be triggered by dehydration.

3.) ELIMINATE EMPTY LIQUID CALORIES: Minimize or eliminate all fruit juices, regular sodas, and alcohol. Opt for water, unsweet tea, or low-calorie/carb beverages in moderation to leave more room for whole food choices that have more nutritional value and better fill you up.

4.) DO NOT FAST IN PREPARATION FOR A FEAST: Fasting turns your body into a famished fat-storing machine the next time you eat. The resulting low blood sugar levels that come from not eating for four hours or more make you crave junk foods high in both fat and refined sugars. Eat small, nutritious meals throughout the day making sure not to skip breakfast or lunch and have a small mid-afternoon snack before the Super Bowl kicks off. In fact, eating a small, nutritious dinner will help curb cravings during the game and control how much you eat!

5.) REPLACE ALL WHITE WITH BROWN (OR BETTER YET...GREEN!): Be sure to use whole grain alternatives for any starch you serve at your party (e.g. skip the chips, tortillas, breads, rice, pasta and opt for whole wheat or whole grain options). Whole grains have more vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber which means they won’t have as negative of an impact on your blood sugar compared to its white counterparts. However, if you want to be a nutritional boy or girl scout, go one step further by replacing all brown with green in the form of green veggies (see “Go Naked” above).

6.) FOCUS ON EATING LEAN PROTEINS, VEGGIES AND FRUITS FIRST: Consume unlimited amounts of lean protein and veggies and some fresh fruit to fill you up and best prevent the typical party “kill shot” of high carb and high fat meals (e.g. thick crust pizza with extra full-fat cheese).

7.) NEVER EAT DIRECTLY OUT OF THE BAG OR COMMUNITY BOWL: Use smaller plates to put your food on while limiting yourself to a pre-set plate total (e.g. four plate maximum during a three-hour football game).

8.) REPLACE GOLD WITH GREEN: Opt for guacamole over cheese for your salads and chips. Guacamole is high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats and it also has a ton of fiber that will help fill you up fast and prevent overeating. Though cheese is a true super food in moderation, it is very easy to overeat especially when mixed with refined carb sources like white chips and pizza.

9.) REPLACE FLOUR WITH WHEY PROTEIN POWDER: Few people know that whey protein powder makes a great cooking or baking substitute for flour (e.g. protein cookies). By adding protein and reducing carb intake, you will boost metabolism, continue building muscle and burn more fat.

10.) THE 20-CHEWS RULE: Eat slowly and require a certain number of chews before you swallow to allow your brain enough time to get the “I’m full” signal (e.g. 20 pre-swallow chews). It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to the brain that you've eaten enough. Take time to chew your food and enjoy the wonderful, healthy options you're making. Enjoy the friends you're with and the game. Don't rush!

If you follow these 10 tips, you'll be much happier Monday morning when you're not bloated or feeling the after effects from all the sugar, processed carbs, sodium and fat. In fact, you may end up losing a few pounds and feel great--whether your team wins or loses!

Nathan Trenteseaux, YFS1, USC1, YNS is the owner and fitness coach for a local Alachua small group personal training fitness facility that features high-intensity bootcamp-style workouts. Underground Fitness Revolution specializes in 30-minute EXPRESS metabolic workouts for busy men and women. To book Nathan to speak at your local Alachua company, club, or organization, please contact him by email at nate@UndergroundFitnessRevolution.com or by phone at 352.682.3310. For more information, please visit www.UndergroundFitnessRevolution.com.

# # #

Underground Fitness Revolution specializes in 30-minute EXPRESS metabolic workouts for busy men and women designed to get you in the best shape of your life regardless of your current fitness level.