Smart Eating - No Diets!

Just Say No To Diets:

As we ring in the New Year, many people resolve to start new diets. The only problem is: diets don’t work. So, What is the best way to reach your weight goals? Don’t be so concerned about how much you weigh. Instead be concerned about how much of that weight is fat. You want to make sure you are losing fat, not muscle or water. To lose body fat you need to burn more calories than you take in. This should be done through lifestyle changes, not dieting. To help you lose weight, incorporate the following steps into your daily routine:

Get Moving!

Start a regular exercise program including aerobic activity. Do something that you enjoy and look forward to. The activity doesn’t need to be an aerobic class. Instead it could be walking, biking, inline/ice skating, dancing, etc. Anything that will elevate your heart rate…remember, the longer the better. Also, strength training will help build muscle that will, in turn, help burn calories throughout the day.

Modify "When" You Eat And "What" You Eat

Eating small meals more frequently during the day will raise your metabolism and keep you from getting that "I’m starving" feeling. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and include lean beef, fish and poultry, low fat/non fat dairy and be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Using low-fat alternatives in place of high-fat foods can make a big difference. For instance substitute non-fat or 1% low fat milk for whole milk, bagels for croissants, etc.

Read The Labels

When reading labels, keep in mind that 1g fat = 9 calories; 1g protein or 1g carbohydrates = 4 calories. Don’t be fooled by a package that claims that it’s "95% fat free"! Look carefully at the Nutrition Facts on the back of the package, especially at how many calories come from fat. [i.e. if something has 120 calories, which is pretty low, but has 9g of fat (81 calories from fat), about 68% of that product is fat (81 divided by 120)].

Weight Loss "Don’ts"

• Don’t go on starvation diets. They slow down your metabolism, which will make you fatter in the long run.
• Don’t buy anything that looks like gimmick. Fat burning pills, weight loss powders and fad diets may work in the beginning, but remember that you need to develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Save your money to spend on nutritious food and for the new clothes you’ll need in a few months!
• Get your percent body fat calculated and check it every other month. Forget about the scale – use a full-length mirror. Standing in front of it will tell you much more than the scale will. "A picture is worth a thousand words".

A Healthy Diet

The food you eat is crucial to virtually every bodily process and function. It paves the way for you to have a healthy baby, helps to prevent or promote disease, may sharpen or weaken mental acquity, and may even affect your mood. Many factors are involved in answering the question "what should I eat?" But here are some basic pointers to keep in mind - before you open your mouth

• Eat plenty of fiber, pulses, whole grains, foods made with whole grain flour (such as whole grain bread), and fruit and vegetables give you the benefit of fiber as well as its associated essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Grains are better only coarsely ground.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially green leafy ones. These give you the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and fiber you need. Peel the fruit as little as possible (peel and pith are nutrient rich). Cook vegetables lightly by steaming or stir frying, and eat some raw everyday to benefit from their hormones and enzymes.
• Cut down your fat intake (especially saturated fat). Choose fish, offal (organ meat), game, poultry, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds, or sprouted seeds, rather than red meat and cheese.
• Cut down your sugar intake. Use sugar as flavoring rather than as a food. Avoid cakes, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, puddings, ice-creams, jam, fruits canned in syrup, soft drinks, sugar in tea and coffee, and milk shakes.
• Cut down your salt intake. Instead of adding salt to your food use herbs, spices, fresh ginger, horseradish, lemon juice, tomato puree, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable stock, yeast extract, chutney, and other flavorings.
• Cut down your consumption of processed food to avoid the " empty calories" of saturated fats, added sugar, refined cereal grains, and additives.
• Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.

• If you are overweight, exercise more and consume the amount of food and drink that will enable you to reach and keep to your optimal body weight

Did you know that a healthy diet would...

• Increase your energy level
• Balance your food cravings
• Stabilize your weight at a level best suited for your frame
• Increase your self-confidence

• Improve your attitude