Welcome to a month of healthy daily tips to kick-start your road to summer and a healthful lifestyle:

1. Strength training not only helps decrease body fat, it also helps tone muscle tissue.
2. A 150-lb person needs to run 3 miles to burn the amount of calories in a small McDonald’s French Fries (230 calories and 11 grams of fat).
3. For quick weight loss, try doing a circuit-training routine. You’ll burn more calories than with other types of exercise routines.
4. Wanting to eat healthy isn’t good enough. Spend time creating measurable objectives to help you eat better like learning a new recipe.
5. Nutrition labels are great for helping you to lose weight because they provide you with valuable information, such as serving sizes and calories per serving.
6. The first item listed on a nutrition label is the recommended serving size and total number of servings per container.
7. By multiplying the number of servings per container by the calories per serving, it gives you the total number of calories per container.
8. Consuming 25-30 grams of fiber each day will help your intestines eliminate waste.
9. Going too long without eating causes your body to break down its own muscle tissue for energy – making weight loss difficult.
10. Eating regularly throughout the day helps maintain muscle tissue, which is positive for many reasons like creating a shapely appearance.
11. If you attempt to lose weight by skipping your first meal of the day, you will become fatigued as your brain and body run low on fuel.
12. Your first meal of the day should be highly nutritious providing you with quality carbohydrates and proteins.
13. To get the most out of your workout, eat a snack or a light meal 30 minutes to two hours before you exercise.
14. A moderately-active person eating around 1400 calories a day needs between 70 and 88 grams of protein to maintain their muscle tissue.
15. Carbohydrates are extremely useful because they provide the energy necessary for your body to function.
16. If you consume too many carbs, your body will store the excess as fat instead of burning it for energy.
17. A moderately-active person eating around 1400 calories a day needs between 140 and 175 grams of carbs a day to maintain their energy.
18. Limit your consumption of honey, candy, soda pop, packaged cereals, and breads made with white flour. They make losing weight difficult.
19. To lose weight, try cutting back on foods with hidden sugar like ketchup, white bread, canned fruits, salad dressings, and sports drinks.
20. Dietary fat is important. It supplies energy for your body and consuming too little can cause you to become weak and lethargic.
21. Fat is what gives most food its flavor. Without it, food would be bland and tasteless.
22. Fat is extremely important for helping you regulate your blood sugar levels – keeping your blood sugar and body from crashing.
23. A moderately-active person eating around 1400 calories a day needs 38 to 48 grams of fat a day to avoid slowing down their metabolism.
24. The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help reduce inflammation, swelling, and the formation of arterial plaque in your body.
25. Healthy adults should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. This amount is equivalent to one teaspoon of table salt.
26. If you consume more sodium than your kidneys can excrete, your body will retain excess water (bloat) to help your kidneys flush it out.
27. Most of the extra salt consumed each day comes from eating out at restaurants or from pre-packaged, processed, and store-bought foods.
28. Getting plenty of water and fiber in your diet will help to regulate your blood sugar levels, which is important to preventing diabetes.
29. You should drink half of your body weight in fluid ounces every day to stay well-hydrated and keep your body running efficiently.
30. Water is like many other things: if it is out of sight, it is out of mind. Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go.

A special thanks to Scott for sponsoring 30 days of healthy tips. Find out more moves and tips on fitness and nutrition by getting social with Scott Schmaltz.  His book, “Get Skinny: The Six-Week Body Challenge” launched on April 1st and is available  on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.  You can also find him and some great tips on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In.