Part Two of my Year of Healthy Giving was bringing Tosca Reno—a nutritional and fitness guru—into the office to dispense her wisdom on everything from diet to exercise and how anyone can turn their lives around (she’s a shining example herself). She generously shared her book “Eat Clean” with everyone who attended and for those of us who opted to take her intense health questionnaire- she treated us to a binder of customized nutritional advice tailored specifically to our needs- pretty cool.

Two pieces of advice that really stuck with me were:

• Fat is not the enemy as much as sugar is. As long as you are eating healthy fats like nut butters, avocado and olive oil, they are good for you and won’t sabotage your diet efforts. Tosca particularly recommends coconut oil. Start with 1 tablespoon a day (you can put it on top of your cereal or even cook with it since it’s heat stabilized), then gradually work up to 3 tablespoons a day… it’s great for your heart. Click HERE for a video on how to cook with coconut oil.

• If you drink coffee and alcohol (two vices I’m not giving up) you need to drink that much more water to remain hydrated; try upping your intake to 10 glasses a day. Also, if you make your water ‘wetter’ it will stay in your system. Here’s how: squeeze some lemon into your water and add a pinch of salt. The electrolytes will keep you well hydrated and are a healthier option than those sugary energy drinks.

For more great tips from Tosca and to learn how she transformed from couch potato to fitness guru, watch this candid interview.

Learn more about Tosca on her website: www.toscareno.com and on Facebook

Learn about the Eat Clean diet on Facebook

Tosca’s amazing transformation - pretty inspiring.

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