Do you feel like diets are all about things you shouldn’t do? How about we flip that around and enjoy the shoulds of a healthy lifestyle? We teach the Mayo Clinic Diet here at Riverside Health Club and this plan includes 5 enjoyable and healthy habits to add to your life:
 

1. Start with a tasty breakfast! Eating a good breakfast can help you lose weight and get healthy. Find something you love to eat in the mornings like fruit, whole grain cereal or toast, yogurt, or an egg.
2. Eat your veggies and fruits! Fill up on as many vegetables and fruits as you can handle. Savor and enjoy these guilt-free foods.
3. Add whole grains. Read your food labels and swap out any highly processed grains for whole grain products.
4. Work in some healthy fats. Use a light hand with this high-calorie category, but make sure to incorporate olive oil, avocado, and nuts into your meal plan.
5. Get up and go. Boost your mood and energy level by getting your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes every day. Start slowly and find something you like doing so you’ll want a repeat tomorrow.

 
Dieting isn’t all about restrictions. Look at these five great things you GET to benefit from when you’re living healthfully! If you need more tips and ideas to move you along to your next goal, join us for our free Mayo Clinic Diet Nutrition Workshop on the last Thursday of every month!

*Photo credit: Adidias, Nike, Nordstrom, Dicks Sporting Goods (each photo is linked to it's original website.

by Kristi Rambo
 
Out of new date night ideas? Research shows that working out with your partner can help you get fit and strengthen your relationship, so skip the dinner and a movie routine and hit the gym instead! Here’s why:
 
MOTIVATION
The first step to improving your fitness is getting started. Having someone to exercise with keeps you accountable and keeps you company! Once you get going, you’re likely to work harder than you would have alone—without even realizing it (Psychology Today).
 
CONSISTENCY
A study in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness shows that couples’ monthly attendance in an exercise program was significantly higher and dropout was significantly lower than that of those who went solo.
 
ATTRACTION
Here’s where this turns into a date. An article in Psychology Today states that exercise mirrors the thrill of romantic attraction. This can make a couple find each other even more attractive than before working out together.
 
CONNECTION
One way exercising together can increase a couple’s bond is through nonverbal mimicry. “When you do something in coordination with someone, then it actually increases feelings of likeness and closeness to that person. So were you to run in tandem, there’s this nice sense of harmony physically that then can translate to feelings of harmony and connection,” (U.S.News).
 
HAPPINESS
Working out also releases endorphins, which make you feel happy. These feelings can then transfer into your relationship (U.S.News). Studies show that couples report feeling more satisfied and in love with each other after tackling a physical challenge together (Psychology Today), so set a goal and make it a date!