You can't outrun a bad diet.

For years I cheated myself out of good health by thinking I could compensate for all the bad things I was putting in my body. I ate a Snickers bar so I would spend 25 more minutes in the gym. I had a large bowl of ice cream so all I needed to do was play an extra set of tennis.  I hear this kind of reasoning all the time. Typically, it is someone who says, "I am going to spend an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill."  The truth of the matter is, "You can't outrun a bad diet."

I have always been pretty active. Softball, tennis and just about any pick-up sport I could find. I love to compete, but regardless of all the exercise I was getting fatter and fatter. (Sorry to those who don't like that term, but I call a spade a spade). It wasn't till I started studying and researching health and fitness I realized I was short changing myself.

About a year ago I bought a Honda Shadow motorcycle. It was a 2004, but only had a couple of hundred miles on it. It is a beautiful bike, but the performance sucked!  A friend encouraged me to "feed it better." I started putting in 100% gasoline (no ethynol) and went to a mid-grade gas.  After a couple of tanks of gas my bike was running like new.

Your body does much the same thing. Your muscles need the right kind of fuel! Your metabolism runs better when you feed your body the right things. You feel more energized and healthy when you eat the right foods. While I believe that exercise and diet are complementary to one another and increases your bodies efficiency; if I had to choose only one it would be to eat the right foods at the right times, in the right quantities.

Remember when you were raising your little ones and you said, "Don't put that in your mouth, its not good for you." Well that little tidbit of knowledge works for adults too. Here are few things to know about what you put in your mouth:

• Not all calories are alike. Counting calories is deceptive. 100 calories of refined sugar will metabolize into fat, while 100 calories of healthy proteins can feed your muscles.
• Eating more often works! Eating smaller portions 5 or 6 times a day speeds your metabolism while starving yourself slows it and causes the body to store more energy in fat cells.
• Educate yourself on what you eat. There is a lot of mis-information out there (especially from the FDA). Forget what you learned as a child about food groups and balanced diets, that is all inaccurate and outdated information.
• Avoid boxed, canned and processed food. First, all the nutrients have been taken from the food and second, they have been replaced with poisons that are killing you slowly.

Disclaimer: Yes, I still will eat a Snickers now and then. I have been know to open a box or bag and eat the food inside, but I am careful about what I eat. A guilty pleasure is the exception - not the rule. If you have been running, walking, lifting or doing other forms of exercise without much success - don't quit what you are doing, just find a good trainer or nutrionist who can help you change your diet and the results will be amazing.

For more information: www.advocare.com/12044713