Small Frequent Meals
Read Labels Carefully
Portion Control
Make the Whole Grain Change
Stay Away From Artificial Sweeteners
Watch Beverage Consumption
Eat More Fiber
Eat From All Major Food Groups
Apply low-fat Eating to Your Life
Take a Break from Dieting
Fill Up on Fruits and Vegetables
Watch Protein Intake
Eat Good Carbs
Eat Healthy Fats
Small Frequent Meals
Eat smaller more frequent meals. Smaller more frequent meals help to decrease hunger between meals, boost the metabolism and helps control over eating. The longer you go without eating the more chance you have of pushing the body into starvation mode. Once the body goes into this mode it starts to break down your muscles and metabolize fat, which results in the body storing more fat for reserves, and slows down your metabolism.
When you eat more frequently you train your metabolism to constantly work, burning more fat and calories throughout the day. You will also be less likely to over eat because you will not be starving when you eat. Push to eat 3 small meals and 2 or 3 snacks a day. And, most importantly make sure you eat breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. It jump starts your metabolism which has slowed down during sleeping. You need to eat in order to trigger the metabolism to start its day and do its job.
For more information please review these links:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal
Read Labels Carefully
Read nutrition labels carefully. Know what is in your food and what you are eating. Two things to try to avoid and you will find in most packaged foods are Partially Hydrogenated Oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup. Both of these ingredients are terrible for your body. They are chemically processed ingredients that your body does not digest and utilize properly and should be avoided as much as possible.
Try to find packaged foods that do not contain these ingredients. At first, you are going to find it difficult to find, but, once you find them, you will know exactly what you need to purchase when you do your shopping.
Below are two articles explaining in detail what these ingredients are, how and why they are produced and used and why you should avoid them.
http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/5-reasons-high-fructose-c_b_861913.html
Portion Control
Exercise portion control by learning the serving sizes of the foods you are eating. Read labels to find what the serving size is. Measure out your serving sizes for a few weeks to see how much it is. After a few weeks of measuring, you should be able to estimate your servings by eye.
Below are a couple of web sites that give you serving sizes for many of the foods we eat.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7209430/Serving-Size-Chart
Make the Whole Grain Change
As most of us know by now, whole grains are healthier for the body than the refined white grains that we like to enjoy. The problem with the refined breads, pastas, crackers, cereals, rice, etc. is that they are missing the important nutrients that the body needs and uses from these foods.
Eating these refined grains are just putting empty calories into our bodies with no nutritional value, which most of us cannot afford to do. Try to swap the grains you eat with the whole wheat varieties. Make sure that the ingredient list reads Whole Wheat or Whole Grain and not just wheat.
Start by having just a few servings of the whole grain versions to get used to the taste and texture. Eventually, you may find that you enjoy the whole grain varieties even better and that you are not even missing the refined grains much at all.
Below you will find some web sites that contain more information about what refined grains are, what whole grains are, what is considered whole grain and the benefits of making the change to whole grains and much more:
http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/reap-the-benefits-of-whole-grains
Stay Away From Artificial Sweeteners
Stay away from Artificial Sweeteners and eat sugar in moderation. Just like the Partially Hydrogenated Oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Sweeteners are chemically processed and no good for your body.
Your body does not digest or absorb them properly and they can cause several problems. I would rather see you eat things that are made with sugar in moderation than to eat the low-sugar, low-calorie versions. At least sugar is more natural and our body knows how to digest and process it.
The best thing to do would be to get used to eating less sugary products and focus on eating more things that contain natural sugars like fresh fruit and no sugar added fruits or products made with fruit.
We are so used to eating sweet things that our taste buds crave them. Once you have curbed your taste buds you may find that eating things sweetened with sugar and artificial sweeteners start to taste too sweet. A good example of this would be applesauce. Eat unsweetened no sugar added applesauce for awhile. Then, try eating applesauce that has been sweetened with sugar. I guarantee that the sweetened applesauce will now taste too sweet. It is about retraining your body to enjoy things that are closer to nature and less sweet.
Below are some related links to this topic:
http://www.nutralegacy.com/blog/general-healthcare/top-10-dangers-of-artificial-sweeteners/
http://www.fitsugar.com/810571
Watch Beverage Consumption
Be careful of the beverages that you consume. Many beverages contain empty calories and add no nutritional value. You must also be careful of the amount of servings you consume. Read labels to see how many ounces a serving size is. Also, be aware of how many calories and how much sugars a serving contains.
Try to stick with beverages that will at least contain some nutritional value such as fruit juices containing only fruit sugars and no other added sugars or artificial sugars. Examples are: vegetable juices, milk, decaf coffees and teas, and best of all water.
If you want to flavor your water try using a 1/4 cup of fruit juice such as orange or grape (no added sugars) and add 6-8 ounces of water, a squeeze of lemon or lime and ice.
Eat More Fiber
Fiber is really good for the body and has many benefits including lowering the risk of developing many diseases and conditions such as: constipation, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Eating more fiber can also help to control your appetite because it is more bulky allowing you to feel fuller longer.
See the links below for more information and for a list of foods high in fiber.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49479.asp
http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/index.shtml
http://www.new-fitness.com/nutrition_fiber.html
Eat from all Major Food Groups
Eat from all major food groups each day including grains (opt for whole grains), vegetables, fruits, dairy, proteins (including meat, beans, eggs, fish and nuts), oils/fats (opt for unsaturated healthy fats).
Eating from all the major food groups each day will give your body all the proper nutrients and minerals it needs. I strongly believe that eating a healthy well balanced diet from all food groups keeps the body nourished and fit.
Choosemyplate.gov is one of the best resources in educating yourself on proper nutrition, dietary guidelines, healthy food choices and food plans that you can do on your own. It provides so much knowledge and I highly recommend going through that site.
Apply low-fat eating to your life
Eat low-fat varieties of high fat foods such as milk, cheese and meats. Opt for the low-fat varieties rather than the non-fat. They tend to be better in taste and closer in texture than the high fat varieties. Try to eat foods that contain less than 7 grams of fat per serving. Limit the amount of foods that contain 5 or more grams of fat per serving to only 3 per day. Eliminate almost completely deep fried foods, they are extremely high in fat and calories.
Take a Break from Dieting
Take a break from constant dieting or controlled eating. My philosophy is that it is almost impossible to eat healthy 100% of the time. Trying to be successful 100% of the time will most likely lead to an unsuccessful diet or healthy eating plan. The goal should be to eat healthy and controlled at least 80 — 90% of the time.
I think the best way to achieve this is to eat at least 5 — 6 days a week following a healthy diet plan (whatever plan you choose). Then take 1 – 2 days a week off from the plan.
This allows you to have a little freedom of counting calories, fat, servings or whatever your healthy plan involves. This will give your mind a break form the constant meal planning that a healthy diet requires.
This shouldn’t be a time that you eat a lot of really bad, fattening foods all day long. But, that you get to splurge on a few things in moderation and allow yourself the break that you need so that you can focus on your healthy plan when your break is over. Allow yourself to have a bit of what you craved during the days of eating healthy.
If you have over 5 pounds of weight to loose you should probably only take 1 day off a week and if you are just trying to maintain your weight you may be able to take 2 days off. If you feel that you are gaining weight you may need to loose a day off as well. You will need to adjust your days off according to your weight goals.
Fill Up on Fruits and Vegetables
Try to eat a serving of fruit or vegetable with almost every meal and snack. Eat fruit or vegetable first and you will be less likely to overeat. You will take in less calories overall because fruits and vegetables are lower in fat and calories.
Shop weekly so you always have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand. Buy produce that is quick and easy to grab so that you are more likely to eat them, such as baby carrots, pre-cut veggies, grapes, bananas, etc. Also, prepare vegetables before they go bad and keep them on hand so that they are accessible when needed.
For example: buy fresh cole slaw or broccoli slaw in a bag already shredded and cut, mix in some low-fat mayo, salt and pepper and keep in the fridge to eat for snacks or with meals.
Also, buy canned (without added sugar or salt) and frozen fruits and vegetables as well as juices so that when the fresh ones run out you will still have fruits and vegetables to eat. There are some really good frozen vegetable packages that are quick and easy to make in your microwave to add to your meals. My favorite is the frozen broccoli in low-fat cheese sauce.
Below are some links with more tips and benefits to eating fruits and vegetables:
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fruits-vegetables.shtml
Watch Protein Intake
There are a lot of diets out there now that focus on low-carb eating. In order to eat less carbs you need to eat more proteins and fats. This is problematic for the body because the body is not meant to take in that much protein. Anything in excess is not good. A balance of all three: proteins, carbohydrates and fats should be the goal of a healthy eating plan.
Many people also think that the extra protein is needed to build muscle. But, the body is not able to store extra protein and therefore the excess protein is converted to and stored as fat. There are also other risks to excess protein intake as well such as dehydration, increased risk of osteoporosis and kidney problems.
Based on an 1800 Calorie diet, women should be getting approx. 46 grams of protein a day or about 6 servings a day, each serving containing about 7 grams of protein. That number will vary depending on physical activity level as well as the amount of strength training you are doing.
Try eating proteins that are low in saturated fats such as lean beef, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, soy, eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. Try to eat your protein with healthy foods.
Although, I prefer most protein intake come from foods rather than powders or nutritional bars, I am big fan of Whey protein powder. Whey protein is produced from milk, it contains all 9 essential amino acids that your body does not produce, is easily digested by the body, it can be low in fat and sugar and can be easily added to smoothies and baked goods.
Look for a Whey protein powder that contains no added sugar or is low in sugar and does not contain any artificial sugars (my favorite is Naturade Whey Protein Powder in Chocolate or Vanilla). Protein is essential, but excess protein is not.
Below are a few links with some information relating to proteins:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900
Good Carbs
There is so much buzz on low Carb diets. Carbs consist of fruits, vegetables, grains and sugars. Excluding the sugar these groups together give the body a lot of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. By following a low carb diet you are denying your body of these elements.
Instead of trying these low carb diets, which are usually a short term fix for weight loss, you need to adjust your nutritional plan to eating the right kinds of carbs. It is not the carbs that make you fat, but, the amount and kind of carbs that you eat that will make you fat.
Sugar, is the wrong kind of carbs to eat. You should be limiting your sugar to only 1 serving a day and fulfilling your sweet cravings with fresh fruit. Eating lots of fresh vegetables is another way to eat good healthy carbs. Changing the types of grains you eat is another way to good carb eating. Instead of white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, eat whole grain, bread, pasta, and sweet potatoes among other types of whole grain varieties such oats, bran, couscous and barley.
Try to choose breads, pastas and grains that have at least 3 or more grams of fiber per serving. You should be staying away from highly processed foods, eating foods closer to there natural state. The other thing to remember is that everything you eat is still calories in your body. So, although carbs are essential you have to control how much of them you eat and eat a few servings from fruit, vegetables and grains. Try for 2-3 servings of fruit, 4+ servings of vegetables and 3-6 servings of whole grains a day.
I recommend a great book to get you to eating the right kinds of carbs for weight loss and overall good health. The book is titled Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, Ph. D. This book explains what good carbs are and what types of carbs you should avoid eating. It is an excellent source for learning all about healthy carbs and the proper way to be eating them.
Below are a few links as well to give you a better understanding of carbs and healthy eating:
http://www.greenherbalremedies.com/blog/excess-protein-is-harmful/
Healthy Fats
Fats are essential just as proteins and carbs are for our body, but we need to limit them and eat the right kinds. Most people eat entirely too much fat as well as eat the wrong kind.
You need to first limit your fat intake to approx. 3 servings a day. One serving of fat is approx. 5 grams. The next thing that you need to do is eat the right kinds of fat. Saturated and Trans fats are the wrong kinds of fat and should be avoided. They are not beneficial and have a negative effect on the body.
Examples of saturated and trans fats are beef, cream cheese, butter, milk, cream and all packaged goods that list partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients. When eating dairy products purchase the reduced-fat varieties.
Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are the types of fat that you can incorporate into your diet in moderation (remember the servings per day). These fats are beneficial to the body and examples of these types of fats are avocado, olive and canola oil, nuts, and seeds.
For more information and lists of good and bad fats visit these links:
http://www.healthcastle.com/goodfats-badfats.shtml
Note: I am not engaged in rendering medical advice. The content and articles in this website are not intended to take the place of such medical advice. I do not assume any liability for the contents of any material provided on this web site. Please consult a physician or physical therapist before using any of this information, advice or any of the services on this web site. This site contains links to other Internet sites. These links are not endorsements or approvals of any products, services, or information on these web sites. I disclaim any liability in connection with the products, services or information listed on these web sites.
