I can tell you from experience that you will have a very good week if you batch-prepare your meals.

I have a delicious recipe to share, but first a suggestion if you struggle with sugar cravings.

Most of my clients are over the age of 40 years and want to perform like the younger version of themselves.

Maybe you feel this way too.

Truth is, if you want to perform at your best you must be mindful about your nutrition.

Does that mean you must stop eating bread, cheese, junk food, and all baked goods?

Not necessarily.

Mindful nutrition requires you choose food that is high in water content, high in fiber, and contains lots of protein.

Think high-quality food like grilled chicken paired with a baked yam.

A good analogy is to imagine your body burning food like a camp fire burns wood.

When you want to increase the fire's heat for a short period of time, you throw in some birch wood or pine branches.

Things that ignite quickly and burn rapidly.

When you want a long-lasting campfire, that burns long into the chilly night, you throw in some logs like oak. 

Hardwoods like oak, hard maple, and ash are very dense and, as a result, allow them to burn slower while giving off plenty of heat.

This concept is similar to food.

What you don’t burn for calories is stored as fat.

It's simply a survival mechanism passed down from our ancestors.

Now if you crave sweets after eating dinner, a smart strategy is to eat fruit with dinner.

For example, eat a banana to get some sugar and have that satisfying feeling of dessert.

It's conveniently packaged and portioned already. You just peel and eat.

Ice cream isn’t necessarily bad; however, most folks have issues with dairy intolerance or portion control.

Too much ice cream creates a calorie surplus and, as mentioned earlier, excess calories are stored as fat.

Things like cane sugar, corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup take a lot of energy to refine and therefore can produce a lot of energy.

Think of these like putting crumpled-up newspaper into the campfire. It will burn up in a minute or less.

Generally speaking, stay away from foods that are high in refined sugar.

Find some natural and healthy foods that you like and bring them not only into your diet, but into your lifestyle.

Try this delicious recipe.

Roasted Beet Salad with Chicken Recipe 

Why couldn't the radish finish the race? He was just a little beet.

A relative to chard and spinach, beetroot is a nutrient-rich superfood that contains an above-average amount of vitamins and minerals per gram.

But unlike chard and spinach, you can eat both the beetroot and the beet greens.

Beets are good for you due to a high fiber, vitamin, and mineral content.

They are a low-calorie food that is still filling, helping with weight balance while providing essential nutrients.

In one cup of cooked beets, you'll get 12% of your daily fiber, 7% each of daily vitamin C, iron, and B6.

You will also get 34% of your daily folate, 11% daily potassium, and 9% of your daily magnesium.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
• 2-3 medium sized beets, peeled and thinly sliced
• 5 strips of uncured bacon (I use Beeler's)
• ¼ cup sprouted pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup organic blueberries
• 1 avocado, diced
• 8 cups of salad greens, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces (I use a mix of arugula, baby kale, and mixed greens)
• ¼ cup Tessemae’s Balsamic Vinaigrette (found at Whole Foods)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced beets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Top with slices of bacon.

Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Remove bacon and place on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put back in the oven.

Stir the beets to coat with rendered bacon fat.

Continue roasting beets and bacon for another 15 minutes or until the beets and bacon are slightly crispy.

Drain any additional bacon fat from the bacon and then place on paper towels to drain and set aside to cool.

Chop the bacon once cooled.

Place the salad greens, chicken, blueberries, avocado, pumpkin seeds, bacon, and beets in a large salad bowl.

Drizzle with the Balsamic Vinaigrette, toss to coat, and enjoy.

Feel free to share if you like.

Something else.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall physical and mental well-being.

Being overweight can increase the risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

It can also lead to fatigue, low self-esteem, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Achieving athletic bodyfat levels (20% for women and 14% for men) can improve your energy levels, boost immunity, and reduce the risk of many diseases.

Additionally, it can improve quality of life, increase confidence, and promote a positive body image.

Thus, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for optimal health and well-being.

Unfortunately transformation doesn't happen in isolation. It's impossible.

And if you're feeling frustrated when it comes to your health, like you're feeling old and out-of-shape, I know you're ready to have your best year ever.

So apply now and let's have a chat.

I don't work with everyone.

But if it's the right fit, it could be the start of something incredible.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online longevity personal trainer, or you want to visit the best age-management personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.