Healthy Eating Tips for the Firehouse (or any house)

Some of my more popular posts lately involve nutrition around the firehouse (or any house).  I was doing some research for my next article (stay tuned for that) and came up

with some quick and easy “healthy eating” tips that any fire rescue athlete can apply.  

Take a look at these and see how you can incorporate them into your daily lives.  

• Using smaller plates and bowls can reduce how much you eat. Next time you set the table remember this point.

• Eating breakfast can control appetite all day. Start the day with a good meal, it will give you the energy to get through the day and keep your appetite in check.

• Watching TV while eating creates a distraction that causes you to eat more. We all need to pay attention to portion control!

• The more you chew the fewer calories you’re likely to consume and the more you burn. 

• Cutting food into smaller bites can help you eat less, it gives your brain the illusion of more bites and more food.

• Low-fat foods often boost flavor with extra sugar making calorie savings an illusion. Low-fat foods are often loaded with sweeteners that can actually make you crave more food and sugars.

• Often those 'hunger' pains in your stomach are a sign that your body is dehydrated and wants water. (Be sure to stay well hydrated, drink water with every meal and throughout the day. Take a look at this great post about hydration for the fire rescue athlete. (Click here.)

There you go…some simple ways to control your eating.  Give them a try!
Stay Safe and Healthy,
A. Zamzow

Want more helpful nutrition advice.  Get my Standard Operating Procedures to Eating Healthy in the Firehouse FREE.  Just join the Fire Rescue Fitness Nation by clicking HERE.

Soda or Water in the Firehouse?

There has been a huge decrease of soda consumption around the firehouse. There isn't any good reason to substitute soda for water (read below). I personally gave up soda (including diet) six months ago and feel a ton better and have more energy. So, today I wanted to do a comparison of water to one of the more popular soft drinks....Coke. 

Sometimes I still have the urge to drink a soda, after reading this, I quickly lose that urge. Read the points made below.

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50%less likely to develop bladder cancer. 

After reading the above and knowing how imperative it is for fire rescue athletes to be operating at peak performance I ask you:  "Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?"

Still not convinced that water is the way to hydrate?  Take a look at how Coke (or any soda) can affect your body.

COKE
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china. (Try that in the firehouse.)

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of water or coke?

Water it is for me....stay hydrated.