How to Touch Your Toes (The 4 Best Stretches to Improve Flexibility)

How to Touch Your Toes (The 4 Best Stretches to Improve Flexibility)

  September 30, 2020    Pratik Bandagale

---

It’s time to learn how to touch your toes!

What makes me so confident you’ll be able to reach your little piggy wiggies?

Because we teach even the most “inflexible” of folks how to touch their toes in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, and we’ll share with you all our secrets below.

Here’s what we’ll cover in our guide, How to Touch Your Toes:

• The benefits of being able to touch your toes.
• Why can’t I touch my toes?
• Determining your initial flexibility (We all start somewhere)
• The 4 best stretches to touch your toes (Improve your flexibility)
• How to become more flexible (Next steps)

It’s time to become bendy like Gumby! 

Let’s get started.

The Benefits of Being Able to Touch Your Toes

If you want to increase your flexibility, you’re gonna need to stretch.^[1] It’s how you make your muscles elastic and strong.

Why bother though? What’s the big deal about being able to touch your toes?

Here are some of the benefits provided by stretching:

• Increase range of motion. If you can move a joint through its full range of motion, you’re gonna have more freedom of movement. Confidently navigating the physical world is a sign of a healthy nerd, which is why flexibility shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the best ways to become more flexible is to stretch.^[2] 

• Improve posture. If you want to stop slouching so much, regularly stretching may help.^[3] Stretching works to improve muscle imbalances, which in turn might help your posture.

• Alleviate back pain. If you suffer from back pain, it might be worth starting a stretching routine .^[4] The muscles in your back might be tight, restricting your range of motion, which causes pain. Stretching can help loosen up the area, plus strengthen the muscle. This might help prevent future injury. 

Stretching, and the flexibility that comes with it, should not be overlooked when building a workout routine. 

While there are many indicators of good flexibility, one of the most popular is undoubtedly being able to touch your toes.

After all, it was so important the President had all American schoolchildren perform the “Sit and Reach” test to see if they could grab their feet.^[5]

Touching your toes might have been a struggle for you then. It might still be a struggle for you now.

What’s going on?

Why Can’t I Touch My Toes?

If you are unable to touch your toes, it’s most likely because of one of these four major reasons:

1) Shortened/tight posterior chain muscles. Although most people think not being able to touch our toes just means your hamstring muscles are inflexible, in reality our whole system (including the lower back) can play a huge role as well! As Mark Rippetoe explains in this video about the Romanian deadlift, what you may think is a lower back issue is also a hamstring issue (and vice versa):

You see, the posterior chain is an interconnected series of muscles that includes our back muscles, erector spinae (muscles along our spine), lower back muscles, butts, and hamstrings:

Weak mobility points in one place in the system can become debilitating (and often easy to spot) when we do compound movements like the deadlift.

If you’re somebody who sits at a desk all day and struggles to touch your toes, you probably aren’t strengthening or lengthening these muscles because the chair is doing all of the work for you.

2) You have relatively long legs compared to your torso and arms. People with long legs and short torsos will have a greater challenge than people who have short legs and long torsos and arms.

But fear not, you too can level up and get those toes touched.

3) You have too much body fat. If you are overweight and happen to have a big stomach, it can certainly make touching one’s toes more challenging. Because you already know that diet is 90% of the battle when it comes to weight loss, focus on nutrition to begin losing weight (here are the 5 rules of weight loss to help you begin). This may be a factor in making it easier to touch your toes.

4) You’re not warmed up yet. If you JUST woke up or spent all day in a car, you’re familiar with the rigidity that makes you feel like a steel girder. Your muscles act like rubber bands; the more they are used, the more they are warmed-up, and the further they can stretch. This is why we encourage people to go through a mobility warm-up before exercise!

Let’s put a plan in place to finally touch our toes!

Determining Your Initial Flexibility (We All Start Somewhere)

Before we can implement a strategy to develop more flexibility that allows you to touch your toes, we need to know your starting point.

As Peter Drucker said, “That which gets measured gets managed.” Or in this case, that which gets measured gets more flexible! 

The following comes from our free 5-Day Flexibility Series, which you can sign up for today!

THE “CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR TOES?” TEST

1. Stand straight with your legs about hip-width apart. You want your legs to be straight, but don’t aggressively lock out your knees either (this feels like a “microbend” to a lot of people).
2. Begin by bending and leaning forward towards the ground with your quads (front of your legs).
3. Let your body rest naturally, as if you were a ragdoll. Keeping your hands relatively close together, straighten your fingers and begin to stretch down slowly to the ground.
4. Do this 2-3 times to get warmed up. Try to keep your legs straight by flexing or activating your quads; keep your legs straight, without locking your knees.
5. Other than the microbend, don’t bend your knees to help you get closer to the ground! I’m watching you. If you’re videotaping yourself on these to track your progress, note that depending on your body (and your hamstrings) your legs may not look 100% straight.

When you are ready, reach towards the ground and hold it for a few seconds. Measure the distance in one of the following ways:

• If you aren’t touching the ground, have a friend measure the distance from the tip of your fingers to the ground. If you don’t have a friend with you, place your hands on your legs and note where the tips of your fingers end up.
• If you can touch the ground, you’ll want to flatten your hands as much as possible, and record the distance from the top of your head to the ground. As you can stretch further, the top of your head will actually get closer and closer to the ground.
• If this seems easy, try hugging your calves and pulling your head in towards your body.

Record your measurement in a document or on a piece of paper (if you’re part of the flexibility challenge, we have a document you can print out), and/or save the photo/video to show how far down you are reaching.

The 4 Best Stretches to Touch Your Toes (Improve Your flexibility)

There are two key factors that will determine whether or not you are successful in gaining the ability to touch your toes as you practice over the next few weeks:

1. Actively stretching your muscles JUST past the point of comfort. Like strength training by adding 1 rep or a few pounds to an exercise, we want to stretch just beyond the point where we stretched last time so our muscles have to elongate.
2. Consistent practice and effort! You can’t improve your flexibility by stretching for 5 minutes once a month. You’d be better off stretching for 30 seconds spread out 10 times throughout the month.

That’s right. Studies confirmed that actively focusing on touching your toes for 30 seconds, 3 times per week was enough to lengthen hamstring muscles in 4 weeks. ^[6]

I‘m sure there’s an inappropriate joke to be made here about 30 seconds of effort, but I’m better than that (I think).

In less time than it takes to update your Facebook status, you could be touching your toes and make Gumby proud.

And I know you have time.

HOW TO TOUCH YOUR TOES (CONSISTENT FLEXIBILITY PRACTICE):

All I’m asking for is 2 minutes. 2 minutes! You can even spread these movements out throughout your day – I like to do them after I work out. After a long day at a desk, after driving, or upon waking up are all good times to work on flexibility!

Through each of the movements below, make sure you are breathing slowly and steadily.

You can follow along with all of the movements below that come from our really fun online course, Nerd Fitness Yoga (part of NF Prime). It’s essentially yoga for people that don’t do yoga.

THE 4 BEST STRETCHES TO TOUCH YOUR TOES:

1. Standing toe touch stretch – 30 seconds
2. Cat/Camel – 30 seconds (switch positions every 5 seconds)
3. Star stretch – 30 seconds (as many slow reps as you can)
4. Moon the sky – 30 seconds (as many slow reps as you can)

1) Standing toe touch stretch: Flex/activate the front of your legs, keep them straight, and bend over at the waist juuuust past the point of discomfort; hold that position for 30 seconds. Repeat this process every other day and hold it for 30 seconds.

2) We can loosen up a tight lower back by doing 30 seconds of moving back and forth every few seconds by doing a “cat” and then a “cow”:

3) You can also do what we call a star stretch to help stretch those legs out! Stand with your legs spread wide, and arms extended (hence the term Star!), and then reach down with one hand to your opposite leg; hold for five seconds, back to start, and repeat with the other leg.

4) Here’s another favorite movement of mine that helps improve my flexibility and mobility: the “Moon the Sky” stretch!

This is a great stretch to mix into your pre-workout warmup to get your legs, butt, and back prepared for work:

• Squat down and put your hands under your feet
• Slowly move your butt up with your hands remaining under your feet.
• Raise your butt and try to straighten your legs
• Go a TEENY bit higher each time until you can fully straighten your legs!

For any of the above moves, a good way to check your form would be to record a video of yourself and match it against the videos and gifs here. If they look close, you’re doing great!

If you want to have an expert review your stretches, our coaches can do just that in our snazzy app!

How to Become More Flexible (Next Steps)

It’s now time to train to touch your toes!

Test your toe-touching abilities before and after doing the 2-minutes of exercise above, and I bet you’ll notice a difference right away – just wait to see what you can accomplish in a few weeks!

The cool thing about flexibility is that any combination of the stretches above will help you improve your flexibility as long as you consistently work on it a tiny bit every day.

I do mobility work: 

• When I wake up
• After I work out
• Throughout my day (when working at my desk)
• At the end of my day for a minute or two before bed

All added up, it’s less than 5 minutes of time, but it’s enough to show me some results!

If you follow our guide above, you’ll be well on your way to increasing your flexibility and touching your toesie wosies.

You just need to start!

Want some help getting going? A little extra push out the door? 

We built three perfect next steps for increasing your flexibility!

#1) Work with a professional Yoda! If you want confidence that you’re following a program that is tailor-made for your busy life, situation, and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program.

Many of our clients have “increased flexibility” as one of their fitness goals, and they take comfort knowing a certified NF instructor is guiding them there. 

#2) Want to take part in our Mobility Group Challenges? That way you can work on touching your toes with others? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, group challenges, a supportive online community, and much more! 

#3) Join our amazing free community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion! Not only is it free to join, but we’ll provide you with loads of free goodies when you sign-up:

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

• The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
• Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
• Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

That should just about do it for our guide on How to Touch Your Toes.

Now, your turn:

Can you touch your toes?

Does attempting to “sit and reach” bring back horrors from grade school?

Any other tips or tricks for mobility training?

Let us know in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Mobility Training series:

• The Ultimate Guide for Improving Flexibility in 30 Days
• How to Stretch
• 21 Basic Yoga Poses for Beginners
• How to Use a Foam Roller

###

GIF credit: banana, Danny Devito, gumby, patrick.

Photo credit: toe touch, posterior chain, roar, yoga sunset, the adventures of Gumby and R2D2, Stormtroopers and Gumby

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

1. Read, “CURRENT CONCEPTS IN MUSCLE STRETCHING FOR EXERCISE AND REHABILITATION.” Source, PubMed.
2. This study covers stretching for mobility.
3. Read, “Effect of an exercise program for posture correction on musculoskeletal pain.” Source, PubMed.
4. Read, “Stretching and strengthening are key to healing and preventing back pain.” Source, Harvard Health Publishing.
5. A practice that has now been discontinued.
6. Read,“The effectiveness of 3 stretching techniques on hamstring flexibility using consistent stretching parameters.” Source, PubMed. Here’s another study that shows 30 seconds of effort results in a more flexible frame!

from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/2opH0LN

Read More

Quick Warm-Up Routines That Will Change How You Exercise

Quick Warm-Up Routines That Will Change How You Exercise

  September 30, 2020    Pratik Bandagale

---

Here’s something you won’t hear many trainers admit: A long workout warm-up — you know, the type that asks you to foam roll, stretch, or otherwise activate every muscle imaginable — can backfire.

Before you think we’re railing against common advice for the sake of being counterintuitive, we’re not saying warmup exercises are bad. We’re just saying the way they are implemented is flawed and, in many cases, not supported by research.

In fact, all the way back in 2012 in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, more than 100 studies were reviewed and the takeaway was:

Stretching has not been shown to be effective at reducing the incidence of overall injuries.⁸⁸ While there is some evidence of stretching reducing musculotendinous injuries,⁸⁸ more evidence is needed to determine if stretching programs alone can reduce muscular injuries.³

If you want the benefits of warming up without dreading the typical process, we’ve tested dozens of different protocols on thousands of online fitness coaching clients and have found that there is a better way. 

The Benefits of a Warmup

The value of preparing your muscles to move can’t be understated. Your body needs to be ready for the stress of lifting weights, running, or performing a sport. If your muscles are warm and prepared, then they can generate more force and move more weight.

More importantly, preparing a muscle to move, produce force, change direction, or push the limits just doesn’t happen on its own. When you try to force it. That’s when injuries happen. 

A cold muscle is like a cold rubber band. To understand, think about the elasticity of a rubber band. You can stretch it, and the more you pull back, the more energy you can generate.

Now, imagine freezing the rubber band overnight. It changes everything. What was once easy-to-move is now stiff; what once took an incredible amount of force to break can now easily snap.

So, warming up your muscles is a good idea. But, how you do it doesn’t need to follow the usual routine.

How To Design A Better Workout Warmup

Most warmup routines are long and onerous (not to mention uncomfortable), which makes it something you dread. And because it’s right there at the beginning of your workout, it can feel like a reason to not show up at all, or you skip the warmup…and find yourself injured. We’ve all been there.

So, what if you changed everything about your warmup routine.

Yeah, you heard us right. We’re not saying you have to stop warming up. As we’ve pointed out, warm-ups are great. But, they aren’t so helpful if they sabotage your workout motivation.

So, we recommend a different option. Instead of a long warmup, we focus on just 1-2 exercises to get started. Here is our favorite 1-exercise warm-up.

And then, thanks to the advice of our longtime friend and contributing fitness expert Tony Gentilcore, we add workout fillers.

Fillers are a way to address trouble spots and tight areas during your workout, simply by doing them between sets. So, instead of worrying about all of the exercises you need to do before starting your workout, you implement strategic exercises into your workout to help you move better, prevent injury, and train harder.

Basically, you make use of your one- to three-minute-long rest periods by doing some easy muscle activation drills or mobility work. (Note the word “easy.” These are not meant to be supersets.)

“We always provide warm-ups for clients, but we also know not everybody does them,” says Born Fitness Head Coach B.J. Ward.

“That’s where fillers come in. We can plug in some movements that are going to help them move better and get stronger pain-free while they rest between sets. It doesn’t “feel” like you’re doing much but we end up sneaking in a lot of extra work in.”

If you’re new to workout fillers, Gentilcore goes a little deeper into the basics in this post, which also covers fillers for deadlifting. In a second post, he explains other techniques to help you squat better.

If you’re already familiar with fillers, then you’ll still want to tune in. Why? Because his deadlift tips are on-point. If you’ve struggled with squats or deadlifts, or just felt “off” whenever you’ve tried them, the mobility drills he shows could help you get moving and grooving better. (And if there’s one thing to know about our man Tony, it’s that the dude can deadlift like a boss.)

The Best Warmup Exercises

If you’re already sold on fillers or just want a great movement to prepare you for your favorite (or hardest) exercises, Coach Ward has your back. Here are some additional moves he recommends as fillers within workouts, or as a primary warmup movement before your workout. (Click a move to see a video demonstration.)

Warmup Exercises For Squats 

1. 90/90 Hip Switch
2. Combat Stretch Ankle Mobility

Warmup Exerciser for Deadlifts:

1. Dead Bug Breathing

Warmup Exercise for Bench Press:

1. Adductor Quadruped Rockback

Surprised? Here’s Ward on why a lower body mobility move can help you when you bench: “Most of us sit all day. The more mobility work we can throw in to unglue our hips, the better. And secondly, opening up the front of your hips can help you get into a better position on the bench press. We ask lifters to get their feet under their knees and squeeze the glutes during the bench press setup. If you’ve opened up the front of your hips it’s easier to lock into this position.

How to Perform Warmup Movements

For each warmup movement, perform 3-5 reps per side. Do only as many sets as necessary so that you feel a little more fluid, your muscles feel warm, and your range of motion has improved. In many cases, just 1-2 sets will suffice.

While we have these fillers paired with the “big 3 lifts,” you don’t have to bench, squat, or deadlift in order to use them. Try them between sets of any similar upper or lower body exercise.

And remember, for a super-efficient warm-up, here’s our favorite movement that will get your body prepared in less than 5 minutes.

Interested In A Custom Coaching Plan?

At Born Fitness, we know every individual is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan. Our team can develop a plan around your lifestyle to help you reach your goals.

If you like the idea of fillers that we talked about above but aren’t sure where to start, more personalization and hands-on support though our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

READ MORE: 

The Surprising Science Benefits of The 5-Minute Walk

The Art Of The Deload

The Best Stretch For Your Body (In Less Than 5 Minutes)

The post Quick Warm-Up Routines That Will Change How You Exercise appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/36m4sDc

Read More

10 Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good: How to Start Eating Veggies!

10 Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good: How to Start Eating Veggies!

  September 29, 2020    Pratik Bandagale

---

If the sight of a plate of broccoli makes you gag, this post is for you!

We’ll turn any “Veggie Hater” into a “Vegetable Lover” by showing you how to make a plate full of greens not taste like a wet gym sock ^[1].

If you’ve been a picky eater your whole life (I didn’t eat veggies until 22!), our guide today will help level up your taste buds!

We work closely with our Online Coaching Clients to help them find their gateway vegetables, and I even picked our coaches’ brains to get their favorite tactics in this guide too.

By the end of this guide, I’m going to have you excited to eat vegetables, and ready to take the “NF Veggie Challenge”:

• Why You Should Eat Vegetables (Your Mom Was Right)
• How to Start Eating Vegetables (Finding Your Gateway Veggie)
• How to Buy Vegetables (Discovering New Veggies)
• 10 Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good (Hide Them)
• How to Start Liking Vegetables (It’s All in the Preparation)
• What Are the Best-Tasting Vegetables? (the NF Veggie Challenge)

Why You Should Eat Vegetables

You’ve probably been told since you were a toddler to “Eat your vegetables! They’re good for you.”

Do you really know WHY they’re good for you? Let me jump into a few reasons why vegetables kick ass.

1) Vegetables are nutrient-dense. It should be no surprise that Popeye turned to a vegetable when he needed a power-up. 

Think of vegetables as one of our body’s most efficient fuel sources: they are packed full of vital macro and micronutrients.

Just take a look at our article on how to eat healthy – it should be no surprise that vegetables take up half the plate in our “healthy plate” strategy.

Simply put: vegetables are the backbone of any solid diet.

2) They fill you up, without “filling you up.” 

Ever seen what 200 calories worth of broccoli looks like (courtesy of WiseGeek)?

It’s the size of a grocery bag compared to 200 calories of a Snickers:

If you are feeling hungry but don’t want to overeat, choose a vegetable.

Kind of hard to overeat when you’re eating carrots or celery!

3) Veggies keep your body operating at max efficiency. Vegetables are a great way to keep your…um…indoor plumbing…functioning properly.

Adding a vegetable or two to each meal (or blending them up in a smoothie) is a great way to keep things working right.

Seriously: you will notice a considerable difference after adding veggies to your diet regularly.

4) They CAN be delicious! It’s all in how they are prepared. As a former veggie hater, I am now firmly on “Team Vegetable.”

A plate full of veggies used to make me want to gag, and now I’m thrilled at the idea of a plate covered in a cornucopia (what a great word, right?) of multicolored fruits and veggies.

“Ok, Steve, I know vegetables are good for me, but I just don’t like them. HALP!”

Here’s how you can get over your vegetable-aversion and get started.

How to Start Eating Vegetables: Finding Your Gateway Veggie

When I was 22 I proudly proclaimed that I was mostly “carnivore” and boycotted veggies. 

Essentially, I ate things like chicken, hamburgers, pizza, pasta, french fries, rice, and not much else.

In my mind, all vegetables were disgusting, but the reality was that I hadn’t really tried many.

Don’t be like me.

We’re going to stop saying “I don’t like vegetables!”

Instead, we’ll say: “I haven’t found a vegetable that I LIKE…yet.”

HOW I FOUND MY GATEWAY VEGETABLE: I started using “20 Seconds of Courage” to try a new vegetable whenever the stakes were low, even if it was a TINY amount:

• I went into any new vegetable experience with an open mind and positive mindset.
• Trying any vegetable was considered a victory, even if it was a tiny amount and I hated it.
• If I went out to dinner with friends, I would ask to try a veggie from their plates. Restaurant prepared veggies were my best chance to find one I liked!

MISSION #1: Commit to try and find your gateway vegetable.

Before any new vegetable experience, clear your mind, Neo.

Instead of ALREADY expecting to hate it, change your mindset.

Instead of “This is gonna be gross,” I said, “Let’s see!”

If you’re out to dinner with family and you see a veggie you want to try on your significant other’s plate, ask and try a small bite!

Want to try and prepare a new vegetable at home? See the next section.

What if you try a vegetable and it makes you gag? Who cares! You found a veggie you don’t like. I’m proud of you for TRYING it. On to the next one!

My gateway vegetable: Asparagus.

After trying some bacon-wrapped asparagus while out at a fancy steak dinner, I realized “hey, this is one vegetable that actually doesn’t taste terrible!”

Of course, it didn’t hurt that it was literally WRAPPED IN BACON!

Next, I tried crunchy asparagus without the bacon wrapping, and it was STILL delicious to me.

And thus, I had found my gateway vegetable.

For my first year as an omnivore, asparagus was the only vegetable I ate.

Once I had gotten over the mental block that “all vegetables are gross,” it was time to branch out and repeat the process with other vegetables.

Let’s do the same for you.

How to BUY Vegetables. How to Discover New Vegetables.

First and foremost, buying vegetables can be daunting:

• How can I tell if a vegetable is fresh or not?
• How long can I leave the vegetable in my fridge before it goes bad?
• Which ones should I buy?

For starters, here are just some of the vegetables that are Nerd Fitness approved.

MISSION #2: Pick ONE of these 25 vegetables and bring it home with you.

Who cares if you don’t know how to cook it yet. Pick one, and bring it home. Baby steps!

1. broccoli
2. collard greens
3. kale
4. romaine lettuce
5. spinach
6. artichokes
7. asparagus
8. beets
9. brussels sprouts
10. cabbage
11. cauliflower
12. celery
13. cucumbers
14. eggplant
15. green peppers
16. mushrooms
17. okra
18. onions
19. zucchini
20. acorn squash
21. butternut squash
22. carrots
23. red peppers
24. green peppers
25. bok choy

NOTE: we’re not counting tubers (potatoes and sweet potatoes, legumes (beans), or corn.

Those foods do have a place on our healthy plate, but today is all bout finding low-calorie, high-energy leafy vegetables.

1) PICK A FRESH VEGETABLE: Use this wonderful guide on how to select fresh and tasty veggies at the grocery store. 

Don’t overthink this or panic: you’re more likely than not going to pick out good veggies (provided you’re going to a reputable grocery store), but having a bit of confidence in what you’re doing can help too.

Here are a few examples of what to look for: 

• Asparagus: Choose firm, smooth, and brightly-colored stalks with compact tips. Avoid limp stalks. Choose stalks of equal thickness to ensure even cooking times.
• Broccoli: Choose broccoli with firm stalks, tight florets, and crisp green leaves. Avoid yellowed or flowering florets.
• Brussels Sprouts: Choose firm, compact, bright green heads. Avoid sprouts with wilted or loose outer leaves.

Noticing a trend? You want FIRM vegetables, not soggy or squishy ones. Just start there, and look for the veggies that seem healthy to you. You can always get better at judging vegetable quality later.

2) CONSIDER PRE-CUT VEGGIES: If you’re worried about picking out fresh vegetables – I know this can be intimidating – look into buying pre-cut bags of vegetables! I personally love buying pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower, and bags of Brussels sprouts.

These are generally on the wall next to the fresh veggies, and might cost slightly more than the produce you bag up yourself.

That’s because a lot of the work is DONE FOR YOU!

I’m all for anything that reduces the number of steps between you and “veggies in your tummy:”

3) LEARN HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO EAT THE VEGGIE:

Once you’ve bought your veggies, use StillTasty.com, to figure out how long you can leave them in your fridge:

Generally speaking, you’ll be good if you cook a vegetable within 3 days of bringing it home: you can batch cook large quantities and then you’ll have MANY more days before the food goes bad.

If you’re NOT sure if you can still cook a veggie, or if it’s gone bad…give it a smell. If it smells funky, or you’re not quite sure…

Here’s a sentence my mom taught me when I started cooking for myself: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Next time, just cook it sooner!

I can tell you eating rotten vegetables is NOT the path to liking them more.

4) CONSIDER FROZEN VEGETABLES: I always have multiple bags of frozen spinach on hand in my freezer, but it’s not because I prepare spinach regularly – I hide frozen spinach in my daily smoothies and I can’t even taste it!

In addition to frozen spinach, I also keep a few bags of microwaveable frozen veggies on hand too in case I need to quickly add a veggie to my healthy plate but don’t want to actually cook a vegetable.

I’m a huge fan of “steamfresh” bags or similar because preparing them is easy as hell:Most of these only require you throwing the bag into the microwave, opening it, and putting it on your plate.

5) Check out canned vegetables!

They might not be as fresh as regular veggies, and there might be preservatives added to keep them from going bad, but I’d prefer you trying out canned vegetables to no vegetables at all!

Popeye eats canned spinach and he turned out okay.

Honestly, I don’t care WHICH path you pick, or which vegetable you pick…as long you commit to picking one and bringing it home with you from the grocery store.

10 Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good

Even if you’re committed to trying more veggies (and I’m proud of you for that), it still might not solve the problem that you dislike the taste or texture.

This is the problem we encounter with many of our Online Coaching Clients: they are committed to eating vegetables, but they’re struggling with taste and texture.

Fortunately, we have a TEAM of Coaches with dozens of success stories from their clients who have learned to like vegetables with some clever tactics:

Essentially, it comes down to “hide them, blend them, pair them, or cover them!”

Here are our Coaching Staff’s 8 Favorite Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good:

1) Change their state! I don’t enjoy raw broccoli nearly as much as I do steamed broccoli.

And that’s not even it’s final form! Give me a plate full of roasted broccoli covered in “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning from Trader Joes, and it’s Veggie Valhalla.

If you don’t like a particular vegetable yet, try preparing it a different way! From raw to steamed to baked to grilled to sautéed in bacon grease (see #4) to blended, you have so many options!

2) Blend them up! Add frozen spinach or kale to your protein shake smoothies. This is my personal favorite, and is part of the reason I get so many servings of vegetables every day.

Here’s my post-strength training workout smoothie:

• 12 oz of water.
• 2 scoops of whey protein.
• 1/2 cup of Quaker Oats.
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries.
• 1 cup of frozen spinach.

Believe it or not, adding frozen spinach (or kale) doesn’t really change the taste AND you can get an extra serving of vegetables without trying.

That’s one extra daily serving of a super veggie!

3) Make a combo bite with a food you like: If you can learn to cook something like chicken stir fry, you can make sure that every vegetable bite also has plenty of rice and chicken.

You can do the same if you make mini potatoes, chicken, and broccoli. Get some of each on the fork with each bite for a really healthy plate!

Then, over time you can reduce the amounts of the other foods and increase the amount of the vegetable until you actually enjoy the taste of JUST the vegetable!

Here are some ideas to try to squeeze in some extra veggies with every mouthful of food:

1. a single broccoli crown and a big chunk of chicken.
2. a chunk of grilled onions and chicken.
3. rice, a wedge of zucchini, and steak.
4. a slice of asparagus, and salmon.
5. a wedge of sweet potato and peppers.
6. steak, onions, and pineapple.

4) Cover them in cheese! As we cover in our “healthy eating” guide, we have no problem with cheese in your diet, provided you’re keeping your calorie intake in line with your daily calorie energy expenditure!

If you want to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on some broccoli florets, go for it!

You can also melt some cheese onto your veggies!

Like anything you eat, just make sure you account for those calories in your planning!

5) Wrap it in bacon. Seriously. Bacon makes everything better.

Want to learn to like asparagus? Wrap it in bacon (see #5)!

Here’s another great way to eat some veggies add bacon (courtesy of Team NF Coach Staci):

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Jul 17, 2019 at 10:32am PDT

6) Spice it up! You don’t need to just eat plain boring broccoli and steamed asparagus. Try adding some spices or hot sauce to your foods to change the taste.

Here are some of our favorites:

• Steamed cauliflower covered in Old Bay seasoning, dipped in cocktail sauce.
• Northwoods seasoning by Penzeys on baked or grilled vegetables.
• “Everything but the bagel” seasoning on baked or grilled vegetables.
• Olive oil, salt and pepper. A classic that never fails.

Here’s our guide to Spice Up Any Meal. Literally, for more.

7) Pretend they are other foods! There are lots of options like this:

• Try zucchini noodles: you might need to buy a “zoodle” machine, but boy these are tasty when mixed with other awesome foods.
• Learn to make “Paleo spaghetti” with spaghetti squash! Read our full guide on how to prepare paleo spaghetti, and thank me later.
• Make carrot “fries.”Cut some carrots into fry shapes, toss them in olive oil, put them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Tada!
• Buy “cauliflower rice” or “mashed cauliflower.” With butter and salt, and on a plate with the right foods, cauliflower can taste like rice or mashed potatoes.

8) Dunk them! Who needs chips? Pssh. You can dunk broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, or carrot sticks in hummus or guacamole.

Think of the vegetable as the delivery vehicle for your favorite dunking food!

9) Add small amounts of spinach, chard, or kale to your homemade chili or guacamole. You won’t notice the difference in the taste, and you’re sneaking extra vegetables into your meals.

I know a coaching client who got started with vegetables by adding them to low carb soups and his homemade chili.

10) Douse them in something you do love. Whether it’s ranch dressing, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, or any other sauce or condiment you enjoy, dunk those veggies and get those greens in your system!

Sure, If the sauce you’re using is really high calorie then this isn’t a long-term strategy, but we can work on that.

For now, we’re building the habit of eating vegetables. Use less sauce each week moving forward.

You can also consider lower-calorie dressings, sauces, and dips to spice things up. And you can never go wrong with hot sauce.

All of the above examples accomplish the same goal:

Getting more vegetables into your system.

This makes your stomach happy, your mother happy, and Popeye happy.

Want to work hand-in-hand (virtually) with a coach that will actually get you to eat your vegetables?

Need a brainstorm partner to find clever ways to “Trojan Horse” some veggies into your stomach?

How to Start Liking Vegetables (It’s All in the Preparation)

“Okay Steve, just give me some options and tell me what to do!” 

FINE!

Here are some easy and delicious options for getting started with your first vegetable:

#1) Steamed broccoli

Level 1: Steamfresh bag in the microwave: Steamfresh veggies come in a package that you can throw in the microwave for five minutes, add seasoning, and that’s it.

Add butter or any seasoning like salt and pepper, and eat it with a protein for a healthy meal!

Level 2: Steam broccoli yourself in the microwave:

• Plop those florets (the “tree” minus the “trunk”) in a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water
• Cover with a microwave-safe lid or dish
• Cook for 3-4 minutes. If the broccoli isn’t soft and warm, put it back in for a minute or two

Level 3: Steam broccoli on the stove:

• Plop about a 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of a pot
• Separating the broccoli florets from the stem
• Plop them in the water and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes

2) Roasted vegetables. Works with bell peppers, asparagus, carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, etc: 

Roasted veggies can taste very different from steamed and raw veggies (they get crispier and a little sweeter because they caramelize in the oven).

Take your pick of vegetable:

And make roasted veggies:

• Cut them up literally however you want (bite-sized pieces work best).
• Drizzle/toss them toss in olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper.
• Put them on a foil-lined pan in the oven at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20-30 minutes.
• Once they look like they’re cooked (a deeper color and slightly brownish edges), take them out of the oven.
• Write down how long they were in for, and eat them!

Don’t overthink this: You can use more olive oil or use less. You can use more salt or use less. You can leave them in there a few minutes longer. Just cut them up, drizzle, and plop them in!

Here’s my recipe for stupidly simple roasted asparagus:

• Put them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
• Drizzle each asparagus stalk in olive oil.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on them.
• Stick them in the oven at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes.

DONE. Crunchy, delicious, and nutritious.

Plus, I felt like a 5-star chef!

#3) Sautéed Vegetables: Cooked on the stovetop! Simple, delicious.

Zucchini and squash both taste great with just a little oil and salt, and are super easy to prepare. 

You can choose to:

• Slice them up into slivers
• Use a potato peeler to create noodle-like slices.

Throw the slices into a pan with some olive oil on medium-high heat for about five minutes until they become soft and lighter in color.

All of these options can be paired with basically any protein for a delicious and healthy meal (or eaten as a healthy, stand-alone snack!). 

If you attempt to cook a vegetable and burn them to a crisp and “fail,” I’ll still be proud of you. We all suck at stuff the first time, so the sooner we get those first few attempts out the way, we can get to “not sucky,” and then…

One day…

We’ll actually get pretty good at preparing vegetables!

What are the Best Tasting Vegetables? (The NF Veggie Challenge)

“Steve! What are the best-tasting vegetables!?”

Great question.

You’re a unique snowflake, and so are your tastebuds.

They will evolve and change as you evolve and change.

So the best advice I can give you is to try lots of veggies, prepared lots of different ways.

Microwaved Brussels sprouts might be soggy and unappetizing, but take the same veggie, cooked in bacon fat and roasted in the oven?

MMMMMM!

So try multiple veggies, in multiple ways, as part of multiple meals. Keep trying until you find a variation you like!

A final note: the point of eating more vegetables is to fill your plate with low-calorie but nutrient-dense food.

If you’re still overwhelmed at the thought of eating veggies, or you’ve always struggled to stick to a diet for any meaningful amount of time, you are NOT alone.

It’s why we’ve created three key services that help people lose weight, get stronger, and live better:

#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: Get personalized nutrition advice that won’t scare you and handcrafted workouts from a coach that gets to know you. We’ve heard  “this program is the first time I’ve ever been 100% honest with another human being about my struggles with food.”

#2) Nerd Fitness Prime: Need lots of recipes to choose from? Want someone to walk you through cooking them? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains workouts and cooking classes with NF Coaches, lessons on how to cook, tons of healthy recipes, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more!

#3) Join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion!

We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so. 

I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

• Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
• What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
• 3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

NOW, Are you up for the Nerd Fitness Veggie Challenge?

For the next four weeks, I  want you to try ONE new vegetable each week:

1. Use 20 seconds of courage to try a new vegetable as a side when you go out to dinner.
2. Buy a new vegetable at the grocery store and learn to prepare it.
3. Add vegetables discreetly to your favorite meals (mix in with your smoothies, add to your omelets, etc.).
4. Learn to prepare a vegetable in a new way. Whether it’s roasting them in the oven or grilling them on the bbq, try a different way to prepare a vegetable and level up your cooking skills.

Leave a comment and let us know!

We’d love to hear from you:

If you hate vegetables, what are you taking away from today’s post?

Do you have a clever way to get more vegetables into your diet? Share please! 

What’s keeping you from starting to eat vegetables, and how can we help?

-Steve

PS: Make sure you read the rest of our healthy eating content! 

• How to eat healthy 101: Start eating healthy today
• How to go grocery shopping like a pro.
• Cooking 101: essential kitchen tools
• Cooking 101: essential knife skills

###

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

1. Please don’t ask “Steve, how do you know what a wet gym sock tastes like?”

from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/2mIqJUy

Read More