Eating right really is simple, just a few basic rules.

So I was sitting in the doctor's office recently to take care of my abnormally large tonsils when I found myself skimming through a magazine published by a very popular chain of gyms which I will not name here in this post but we all know the name. Well, I think we all do. ANYWAY, so I was skimming through when an article about healthy eating caught my eye. In this article I concluded that they really didn't know what they were talking about and I finished the article more confused than when I had started. So that got me wondering how many other people out there are either A) reading that article and feel like healthy eating is too hard so they said 'forget it' before even trying or B) really are clueless from the get go about what it is they should be putting in their mouths. Well here are some easy rules to follow when choosing right eating habits.

1. Do. Not. Starve. Yourself. EVER.
This one should be a no brainer, however, it is not. Women fall prey to this every single day. They have the weight they want to lose so they can fit into that perfect pair of jeans or dress for this perfect day so what do they do to get ready? They don't eat. This is stupid. Really stupid. Not only are you going to gain that weight back plus some but you have just officially made it harder for your body to lose any more weight for your future endeavors of getting a slimmer body. Starving yourself seriously screws up your metabolism. Not to mention a lot of other things. You leave yourself susceptible to all kinds of airborne viruses and germs. That's disgusting. You have to eat in order to lose weight. Yes, I will repeat it with full confidence. YOU HAVE TO EAT IN ORDER TO LOSE WEIGHT. Several small meals a day work great for training your metabolism.

2. Don't be scared of carbohydrates. Seriously.
Carbs are our friends in terms of our body's ability to effectively function throughout the day. Carbs are a ready source of fuel for our body to use in doing anything and everything that we do in a day. Especially working out. You need carbohydrates before and after your workout to get your body ready AND also to adequately recover from your workout. Recovery takes just as much effort from your body as the actual workout itself.

3. Don't skimp on your protein, regardless of your gender or goals for your body.
Proteins are the building blocks of EVERYTHING in your body. Every little cell in your body is built up of protein. All your DNA is protein. Bones are built of proteins. Muscles are built of proteins. On and on and on. As far as a carb to protein ratio it should be pretty close to this, 4:1. That's 4 carbs, 1 protein.

4. Fear not all fats.
Fats are actually needed by your body. Skipping out on all fats isn't necessarily a healthy choice in choosing your new way of eating. Every muscle you have and every organ you have is actually surrounded by a protective stretchy sac called fascia. That fascia is made up of fat. Look for omega-3s as healthy fats to add to your diet. You'll find these in fatty fish like tuna.

5. Stay hydrated.
Just because you aren't thirsty doesn't mean you don't need water. That thirst sensation is telling you that you REALLY need water because something is about to stop working effectively inside your body unless you get more. Drinking water regularly throughout your day is a really good way to keep you hydrated and everything inside of you working at its most efficient especially the organs that need fluid in order to filter out those toxins that are floating around inside of you like your liver. In terms of exercise you should be drinking well before your workout, all throughout your workout, and well after your workout. We are like plants in this sense, without water we can't live.