Toss Baby Mo: A Ditty For Life

Making good nutritional choices is not always intuitive. Sometimes we need a little help remembering what to throw in the shopping wagon. If you remember to TOSS BABY MO into the cart, you will be well on your way to a healthier life.

I am a certified group fitness instructor, and I take my job seriously. For the past 14 years I have taught aerobics, weight lifting, and stretching classes – all in an attempt to make a difference in the lives of women. Of course many gym members come to class merely to look better. I can understand that, but I want so much more for them than rock-hard abs! I want them to optimize their health, so they can take care of their families better and avoid devastating diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and heart disease. My approach is to get to know each member by name and to understand her concerns. As I show interest in these women as individuals, a trust is usually built. This is essential, because an exercise class can be an intimidating and uncomfortable place for those who are unfit and have less than mega-model looks. Once I have nurtured their confidence in themselves and in me, the stage is set to teach them something more significant than the proper way to execute a squat, half-hop turn or Warrior One pose. I like to encourage the women to visit their health-care providers regularly. I advise them to make exercise a priority for the sake of their physical well-being and their mental health. I share statistics and real-life success stories – anything to wake them out of their complacency. I even use humor and silliness...if it will move them along the path to a healthier lifestyle. On several occasions, I have shared the importance of including plenty of water and nutritious food in their diets. When the ladies had trouble remembering a list of “10 Super Foods” recommended by a dietician, I devised a way to help them out. I came up with a mnemonic device to spark their recall of these superheroes. “Simply ‘TOSS BABY MO," I said. “If you remember this little ditty, it will help you make wiser food choices at the grocery store and in the buffet line.” Here’s what the acronym TOSS BABY MO stands for: T for tomatoes. O for oranges. S for spinach. S for soy. B for broccoli. A for almonds. B for berries. Y for yogurt. M for melons. And last but not least, O for oatmeal. These foods are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other powerful phytonutrients that are believed to help decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer and to boost the immune system. These are just 10 of the many gold-star menu options available. You can learn about the others by visiting healthy-living web portal http://eatricious.com. Ladies, if I don’t see you in the gym, I’ll be looking for you in the produce aisle – Tossing Baby Mo. Eat nutritious, eat delicious!

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San Francisco based eatricious is a web portal focused on food and healthy living. Through education, tools and support eatricious provides you with the right food choices to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Visit www.eatricious.com!