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high-qualityarticles · 3 years

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Working out and eating healthy but not losing weight

There’s one question that many people ask themselves when they’re trying to lose weight: “Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out every day and eating healthy?” In this article, we will explore some of the most common reasons why some people aren’t able to lose weight, as well as potential solutions for each.

Want to know why you’re not losing weight despite working out and eating healthy?

Remember that “abs are made in the kitchen” The biggest hurdle that you have to overcome is deciding what you eat, your portion sizes and the type of food. Eating is emotional. There is reward for eating a nice meal because simply it tastes good. The basic principle of reward and gain and ultimately dopamine release in the brain is at work here. Also, we are not wired to be consciously attuned to the number of calories that we are eating. We have a need, and we just want to be satisfied, comforted, and filled. So, let’s consider some of the areas that are important in keeping the weight off.

Are You Keeping Track of What You are Eating?

If you’re not keeping track of what you’re eating, it’s going to be difficult for you to manage your calorie intake and weight loss goals. Tracking calories can help people who are trying to lose weight by making sure they don’t go over their daily limit. It also helps them stay aware of how much food they’re consuming so that they know when enough is enough. If this sounds like something that might work for you, consider downloading an app or using a website such as MyFitnessPal in order to make tracking easier on yourself.

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

Protein is essential for a healthy diet and can help you feel fuller longer. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your daily intake of protein meets the recommended guidelines, which are about 46 grams per day for women and 56 grams per day for men. Protein-rich foods include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and legumes (such as lentils), tofu, or tempeh. You may also want to consider taking a plant-based protein supplement if you’re not getting enough from food alone.

Are You Eating Too Many Calories?

If you’re eating more than your body needs, it will store the excess calories as fat. This is why many people find that they can’t lose weight even when they are working out and following a healthy diet. If you have been tracking your caloric intake for several weeks and see no change in the number of pounds you’ve lost or gained, try keeping track of what time of day you eat most often during the week (breakfast? lunch?) and compare those numbers with others times throughout the day. The amount of food eaten at certain times may need to be adjusted so that there isn’t too much calorie consumption at one sitting over another.

Are You Making Sure To Eat Whole Foods?

If you’re eating healthy, but not losing weight, it’s important to make sure that you are consuming whole foods. Whole foods contain all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs for energy and health. Processed or refined food may lack some of these essential ingredients, which is why they can cause feelings of fatigue even though they provide calories.

Are You Lifting Weights?

You should always include weight training in your workout routine. Lifting weights is an essential part of any fitness program because it builds muscle and boosts the body’s metabolism, which helps burn more calories throughout the day. You may also want to consider increasing your intensity during workouts or changing up some exercises for a new challenge.

Are You Binge Eating, Even on Healthy Food?

If you’re eating healthy and still not losing weight, it may be because of binge eating. This is when someone eats a large amount of food in one sitting, even if the foods are nutritious. Overeating often leads to feelings of guilt or shame that make people more likely to overeat again in the future. It’s important to learn how to stop binge eating so you can focus on weight loss.

Are You Doing Cardio?

If you’re not losing weight, it may be because of your workout routine. Cardio is an important part of any fitness plan and can help with fat loss. If you’re doing cardio but still have trouble shedding pounds, try increasing the intensity or changing up some exercises for a new challenge. You might also want to consider adding strength training to your routine.

Are You Still Drinking Sugar?

If you’re still drinking sugar, it may be making your weight loss harder. Sugar is found in many different types of foods and drinks including fruit juice, soda, cookies, ice cream, and more. If you want to lose weight but can’t seem to stop eating or drinking sweet things, try cutting back slowly by limiting yourself to one sugary food or drink per day. You might also want to consider other ways that sugar could be sneaking into your diet like bread made with white flour instead of whole wheat flour or hidden sugars in some prepared sauces.

Are You Sleeping Well?

If you’re not getting enough sleep, it could be making your weight loss harder. Sleep deprivation can make you gain weight by slowing down the metabolism and increasing hunger hormones like ghrelin. To lose weight in a healthy way, try to get at least eight hours of quality sleep per night on most nights of the week or take power naps when possible during the day.

Are You Still Eating Too Many Carbohydrates?

The number one reason why people don’t lose weight is that they’re eating too many carbs. Carbohydrates are the main ingredient in all processed foods, which are high in calories and low on nutritional value. Processed food will also have a high glycemic index rating, meaning it’s quickly absorbed by your body. This causes an insulin spike that then makes you feel hungry again soon after eating.

Are You Eating Too Often?

A common habit many people who are struggling to lose weight have is snacking too often. It can be difficult for some people to avoid snacks, especially when they’re feeling hungry or bored. However, it’s important to know that eating more than 3–4 times per day may actually cause a person to gain weight instead of losing it. This is because the body has trouble processing all the food at once and so slows down its metabolism in response. The good news is that by staying on track with your diet plan and not overeating, you’ll start seeing results soon enough!

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

If you are struggling to lose weight, it could be because you are not drinking enough water. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend women drink 2–3 liters per day and men drink 2.5–4 liters per day. Water can be an important component of weight loss. Drinking water is a simple way to decrease hunger, which can lead to weight loss success. One recent study found that even drinking one more glass of water per day resulted in a weight loss of about 1 pound over the course of 12 weeks!

Are You Drinking Too Much Alcohol?

People who are trying to lose weight should limit their alcohol intake. Alcohol is a calorie-dense drink that has no nutritional value and may have negative side effects for those trying to lose weight. Alcohol also contains sugar which can lead to increased cravings, especially in the evening when people are less active. For these reasons, it’s important to limit alcohol intake while dieting and exercising.

Do You Have A Medical Condition That Is Making Things Harder?

It may be hard to lose weight if you have a medical condition that causes complications. Medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease can make it harder for people to diet successfully. If you are struggling with these health problems, try managing your symptoms instead of trying to change what you eat or how much activity you get in one day.

Are You Addicted to Junk Food?

If you have a hard time resisting food, then try to eat healthy foods that are still satisfying. It’s often easier for people who love junk food to change their diet by switching to healthier versions of their favorite snacks and meals. If changing your eating habits is too difficult, try gradually decreasing the number of unhealthy items in your pantry or fridge until it’s completely empty. Once it’s gone, chances are you’ll be less tempted when these choices aren’t available anymore!

Have You Been Starving Yourself For Too Long?

If you are having a hard time losing weight, it may be because you’re not eating enough. If your appetite has been suppressed for an extended period of time (for example, from being sick), this can cause the body’s metabolism to slow down and make it harder to lose weight. Try adding small meals throughout the day instead of three big ones. Eating more often will help keep your metabolic rate high so that you’ll have more energy all day long!

Are Your Weight Loss Expectations Unrealistic?

Sometimes we set expectations for ourselves that are too high. If you want to lose weight, a realistic goal is losing one to two pounds per week (or about 50–100 calories each day). This may not seem like much when you’re trying harder and it feels like nothing’s working, but progress doesn’t happen overnight so try your best!

Are You Too Focused on Dieting?

It’s tough to stay on track with your dieting when you’re trying so hard. Sometimes we get too focused and end up restricting our calories more than necessary or depriving ourselves of food altogether which can lead to binge eating later in the day. It may be better for your body (and mind) if you take a break from strict dieting every couple of days. Try making healthy swaps instead like substituting one meal each weekday with a turkey sandwich, veggie wrap, salad, or yogurt!

Smoothies

There are also meal substitutes that work well to maintain weight, and these are smoothies. A smoothie that is made with the right ingredients particularly enough protein can replace a standard meal and keep you full and still not have as many calories as a standard meal. There are some really good smoothie diets that have proven themselves and have received almost a cult following because of the success many people have had with them.

Could You Actually Be Losing Weight Without Realizing It?

Yes, this could be the case. If you’re not losing weight on your scale but other signs point to a healthy lifestyle (like clothes fitting better), it’s possible that you are still shedding pounds without knowing it. Don’t feel discouraged if weight loss isn’t happening as fast as you want because that is normal progress for most people.

Diet supplements and Weight Loss Drinks

Diet supplements and weight loss drinks and teas have also emerged recently as reasonable aids to a weight loss solution. Many of these supplements have been readily accepted because they are made with natural nutrients, vitamins and minerals and mainly work by boosting the metabolism while reducing food cravings. The most popular of the weight loss drinks which is supported by enthusiastic testimonials promises to help the metabolism to adjust itself to balance your energy usage to improve efficiency.

Last Words,

So, trying to achieve a nice balance between meal planning and exercise is ideal. It is possible to maintain your weight without doing extremely strenuous exercise. Losing a pound means consuming 3,500 less calories or burning those calories in the form of exercise. If you do the math, you will see that about 100 calories are burned in 15 minutes of exercise or 400 calories in an hour. This means that you would need about 9 hours of exercise to lose just 1 pound. That’s equivalent to walking 35 miles!

Don’t feel discouraged if weight loss isn’t happening as fast as you want it to because that is normal. Remember: progress doesn’t happen overnight but staying positive will help keep you motivated and happy along the way! We hope these points help in some way and we wish you all the best of luck with your goals! Try to get the balance right. The correct food choices, the right portion size and a bit of exercise in the mix. You got this!

#lose weight #weight loss

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grannybeards · 7 years

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I was tagged by @lady-antacobellum

Rules are to answer all the questions and tag 20 blogs you’d like to get to know better.

nickname: hoo boy I have a few: most common are El, Nora, Nelly, (Im called Eleanor) and I also get Smudge, Small, and just Mochan (my surname) x

gender: either a gal or a wood fae depending on the day xx

💫 sign: ♊♊♊♊

height: 5'5, so I'm above UK average !! X

time: 22:08

🎂: Thursday, 17th June 1999 (at 08:50 if anyone wanted to ever do an accurate zodiac or whatever xo)

favorite bands: hmm well my loves my favourites this week are: the Byrds, the Hollies, My Chemical Romance, the Starjets, the Mamas and the Papas, the Misfits, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Supremes x

favorite solo artists: Paolo Nutini, Etta James, Elton John, Rodriguez, Bob Dylan, ALLEN GINSBERG, Jeff Buckley, my boi Gerard Way, the list goes on xoxo

Last Movie I 👀: Grizzly Man (2003, Herzog) W A T C H. I T. Xx

last show i 👀: George Clarke's amazing spaces I'm addicted to it x

when did i create my blog: I think it was 2012 ?? I had one in 2012.. this one might be 2014 I'm not sure xx

what do you mostly post: absolute nonsense x

last thing i googled: "green action food co op Leeds" x

do you have any other blogs: I have an aesthetic blog faerieel although I do still end up vaguely going off topic on it but the world loves a rambler, so eh xx I have a hp blog too called minervamcbadass which is actually on topic for once so that's cool x

do you get asks: not really but I'm totally up for talking to you my loves so x

what am i wearing: my dad's old longjons that shrunk in the wash (so now theyre mine) and my grandma's GAA hoodie it's such a powerful look I know (I was about to go to bed but the dog wanted to go out and they were downstairs in the ironing pile x

why did you choose your URL: I'd like to be all mysterious about it but I went on random word generator and this just resonated with my very soul like bitch same so it's who I am now and I'm never changing it x

blogs who follow you: are fit and ily and I'd give you all a big hug if I could (or a hearty smirk and some finger guns if u don't like hugs) xx

favorite colors: green like all greens. Greeen !!! But the best green is a lovely moss green I'd die for moss it's the best plant x

average hours of sleep: like 9 I need 9 of I will die xo

lucky number: 67 !! Xx

dream trip: I really want to road trip Britain like I live here but I've only really done the North West and bits of Yorkshire like I've been down south except for the Holyhead ferry like twice and i need to explore a bit x

instruments: lmao I can get by on guitar (very tenuous) and piano (not too bad if I don't have to read music) x and I played the ocarina in primary school and the penny whistle xx I own a fiddle but can't play it at all yet xxxx

how many blankets do i sleep with: my radiator isnt on and I live on the Moors (aka bloody cold!) So I have a winter weight duvet, a blanket over my duvet, and a spare one at the bottom of my bed x I like the room being cold though so blankets are always welcome with a "the more the merrier" policy xx

favorite food: Tarka Dal or Lentil chili. I just love lentils esp yellow ones x

nationality: I'm British but all my family on all sides and all spouses came over from Ireland illegally during the famine so Im basically a shit Irish person trying to live their life as a fake Lancastrian. I like in the village one over from where I was born and despite my grandparents and my dad owning the village pub in old village for like forever we're still considered outsiders in both villages for moving lmao it's weird x

I never know who to tag so if u follow me this is me tagging u ok have at it love u all xxxxx

💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚

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howtoloseweightfastsafely · 6 years

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7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Eat real food.

Processed foods usually have all of their fiber clean out of them and are very soft, meaning that your body breaks them down quickly - and uses them quickly, too.

Processed foods also generally have sugar (which binds to proteins to create AGEs) added to them to make them taste better - and boy, are some processed foods delicious as a result! They taste good now, but God forbid you ever get sick when you're older - you're going to wish you'd eased up on the GoGurt and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Stay away from anything that has comes packaged with more than 1 INGREDIENT. Yes, I'm serious. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, you will be much better off if you eat foods in their natural, singular form.

Chicken? From chemical/hormone-free pastures... 1 ingredient. GOOD

Beef? From pastured-raised cattle... 1 ingredient. GOOD

Chicken Nuggets? Made in a factory. Upwards of 20 ingredients and tons of allergens, chemicals, and "mechanically separated chicken". AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Hot Dogs? Made in a factory. Bare minimum of 5 ingredients, but usually many more. Heavily processed and full of chemicals, fillers, etc. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Rice? Made in Rice Paddies....1 ingredient. GOOD

Beans/Lentils? Grows Naturally in Plants...1 ingredient. GOOD

100% Whole Wheat Bread?Made in a factory. Anywhere from 5-35 ingredients... AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Eat as much as you cook in a broth or soup - or eat steamed, boiled, or raw.

There are tons of delicious slow-cooker recipes out there, and many more soups, stews, porridges and other dishes that don't require you to brown the proteins of the food you're eating.

The ancillary benefits of eating raw vegetables, fish (or even beef tartare) are many - you don't soften your food, so your body takes longer to digest it, and you don't cook any nutrients or enzymes out of your food.

Also, you can significantly lower natural inflammation in your muscles, joints and organs by eating more vegetables and un-browned proteins and less anti-nutrient laden grains like corn, wheat, and processed flours.

Note that the raw veggies we discussed earlier (that are unsafe to eat raw) should be steamed, boiled, or cooked on low heat with a fatty substance like coconut oil or butter to allow for proper absorption of nutrients.

Eat less sugar.

If you're currently consuming large amounts of sugar - whether through your food (candies, baked goods, too much fruit, etc.) or through beverages (soda pop, juice, beer and wine) - you're taking in too much sugar, and your body is being forced to produce too many AGE products.

Your body will use as much sugar as it can for energy, but at some point, it won't be able to use the rest.

These free-floating sugars in your bloodstream will find themselves a nice, unassuming protein to latch on to and turn into an AGE product. This is in addition to the fact that extra sugar that cannot be used for energy is likely to be stored entirely as fat.

Eat fewer carbohydrates. Carbohydrates - even whole grains - are broken down into sugar by your metabolism.

Your body will however much carbohydrate it can and the rest will turn into fat and/or attack your proteins.

On a somewhat relieving note, the more complex a carbohydrate, the longer it takes your body to digest it.

Because these carbohydrates break down slowly, it gives your body a chance to use them as energy as they become available (assuming you're active), which will produce less waste AGE products.

Drink less coffee or swap it completely for tea. Yes, it's hard to believe anyone could suggest this, but it's true (especially me...I LOVE coffee). Coffee is roasted. At a high heat. Which means it's loaded with AGE products.

If you're also the type of person that adds in AGE-loaded creamer, milk and/or sugar, then for you, "the best part of waking up" may actually be a steaming cup of poison.

For starters, drink your coffee black! I personally am a walking zombie without coffee, so I have 1 cup in the morning and make sure I don't add any sugar or allergy-inducing milk. Besides the benefits of less AGEs, one cup of "clean" black coffee ensures that I'm not adding unnecessarily to my waistline. (I'll occasionally mix with coconut oil and/or grass-fed butter if I'm fasting in the morning.)

On the same token, have ONLY 1 cup a day, just in the morning to get you going. The rest of the day, drink one of the many varieties of tea. You'll still get some caffeine, but you won't be pumping yourself full of AGEs (and furthering your caffeine addiction).

I personally used to have upwards of 3 cups a day, but I now feel much better, relaxed, and focused with 1 morning cup and then 1-2 healthy cups of tea. Try it for yourself...it works.

Make the switch to green tea All teas are generally healthy for you, but green tea has tons of added benefits. Not only is it a well-known superfood (it seems like scientists are discovering something amazing about green tea every other week), it's also an excellent natural fat-burner.

Best part? It's been shown that green tea slows your body's natural glycation process, which means you create less AGEs during your metabolic process.

There's green tea leaf extract in the InvigorateNOW supplement so you should be covered...but extra green tea can't hurt, and it tastes awesome, so go for it!

Avoid food cooked on high heat.I'll admit, BBQ chicken, wings, and cajun-blackened Salmon are some of life's greatest pleasures. But food cooked at that high of a heat - anything seared, blackened, braised, etc. - is overflowing with AGE products. Have these only on special occasions (in other words, when your mom makes BBQ chicken and you haven't seen her in 3 months, eat the chicken!). The rest of the time, cook with water-based methods and you'll be fine.

Cook food low and slow. You don't have to give up cooked meat! Here's the thing to remember: Higher temperatures will create more AGE products, and lower temperatures will create less.

There's no "magic number" of AGE products you should or shouldn't eat - you should just be doing your best to lower the amount you take in, as much and as often as possible.

Whenever possible, bake meats at a lower heat with some water in the pan, rather than broiling or pan-frying in high heat.

Use water as a medium.AGEs will not be created when you cook with water.

Learn to eat your steaks rare or medium-rare (this means they've been cooked to a lower temperature, and I personally think this tastes better anyway) rather than ordering it "well done."

Try various stews, curries, soups, and more

Pro-tip: There are tons of delicious Thai and Indian recipes that are cooked in either water or coconut milk. The liquids should help drastically cut out AGE formation.

Here's the bottom line...

If you EAT REAL FOOD, keep the amount of high-heat cooked foods in your diet low, and the amount of liquid-based foods high, you're unlikely to be taking in dangerous levels of AGE products.

Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute"

Read the next article about "The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster, and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

Learn more by visiting our website here: invigoratenow.com

#weightloss #diet

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howellrichard · 5 years

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The Sticky Truth About Sugars, Sweets and Your Health

Hiya Gorgeous!

It’s time we talked sugar. White powdered gold. Legal crack. Sugar is one of the most readily available and addictive foods out there—and you don’t have to be a Pixy Stix guzzler to overdo it. I was pretty floored when I began to really understand the abundance of sugars in food—did you know it’s in everything from pancakes to potatoes?

The average American eats an estimated 130 lbs of sugar per year (source). You might think “There’s no way I eat that much sugar!” but this stuff is sneaky. It doesn’t just hang out in the junk food aisle, it’s also in healthy foods (don’t worry, I’m not saying that a sweet potato has as much sugar as a Snickers bar!). Hidden sugar piles up fast, so you may need to budget less sugar in your diet—especially if you’re dealing with a health challenge.

But before you go any further, grab this free printable sugar guide I created for you!

Not all sweets are created equal, tootsie! I created this guide to help you become a pro at differentiating the good sugars from the bad. This is essential knowledge for your self-care toolkit, so keep it somewhere safe. Just enter your name and email for instant access!

Sugar is inflammatory and consuming too much of it can increase your risk for health challenges like cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, an unhealthy gut and a number of cancers. Excess sugar can also cause tooth decay, contribute to obesity, accelerate the aging process and even impact brain function. Plus, when we consume too many of our calories from sugar, we miss out on essential nutrients from whole foods.

I know how overwhelming this sweet beast can be, but we’re about to change that. Grab your pencils, friends… let’s go to sugar school!

Why do I crave sugar?

Let me tell ya, I get this question all the time so let’s start here! Studies have shown that eating sugar has a powerful impact on the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by addictive drugs, which can lead to increased tolerance and dependence.

One study compared men who were given meals with rapidly digested refined sugars to men given meals with a lower blood sugar impact. The group eating the rapidly digested refined sugars experienced an increase in blood flow to the part of the brain that regulates cravings, rewards and addictive behaviors. When this reward center lights up, it can keep us wanting more (study)!

Sugar can even interfere with our appetite-regulating hormones, which can lead to even more overindulgence. But I have good news! When you eliminate or significantly reduce refined sugars in your diet, you’ll start to notice the cravings subside in as little as a week (though it’s different for everyone, so give your body time to adapt!).

What is sugar?

To understand sugars, you’ve gotta start with the basics. You’re probably familiar with carbohydrates and glucose, but do you really know what these guys are all about? Let’s learn more about them, then we’ll explore our day-to-day food choices.

Carbohydrates

There’s a lot of gabbing in the news about good carbs versus bad carbs—but what are they, exactly? First and foremost, carbohydrates are the starchy or sugary part of foods. When we think about sugar, naturally we imagine all things yummy and sweet. But in actuality, all carbs (including those that don’t taste sweet, like pasta, bread and potatoes) break down into glucose—the sugar your body uses for fuel. (More on glucose in a sec!) From your body’s point of view, there’s not much difference between a spoonful of sugar and a slice of white bread.

Carbohydrates come in two varieties, complex (“good” or “unrefined”) and simple (“bad” or “refined”). Complex carbs, also referred to as starches, are typically digested and absorbed more slowly than simple carbs. These foods are generally high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I’m talkin’ about whole grains like brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa, along with legumes and starchy vegetables. Just keep in mind that complex carbs can still cause a rise in blood sugar if they’re consumed in excess, so be mindful of both quality and quantity of your healthy carbohydrate choices!

With the exception of fresh fruit, simple carbs (also called “simple sugars”) are digested and absorbed more quickly than complex carbs. They don’t offer much nutritional value, and because of their minimal fiber content, can trigger unhealthy blood sugar spikes (and dips). White sugar, white flour, white bread, some whole wheat breads, cookies, sugary snack foods, candy, cake, muffins, crackers, chips, energy drinks, sodas and concentrated fruit juices are examples of simple carbs.

Glucose

When glucose enters your bloodstream, your pancreas releases insulin, the master hormone of metabolism. Insulin has lots of jobs, but most importantly it regulates glucose levels by shuttling it to cells to use as fuel. But if a cell has all the fuel it needs for the moment, insulin carries off the extra glucose to be stored as fat. So far, so good—because everyone needs a little cushion for the pushin’. However, a diet high in simple sugar and refined carbs dumps a ton of glucose into your blood very quickly. As a result, your pancreas is forced to barf out additional insulin, which isn’t good for you or your pancreas.

This is one vicious cycle. Over time you may develop insulin resistance, which makes your body less effective at regulating blood sugar. Insulin resistance also affects your ability to use stored fat as energy. In other words, you can’t lose weight as easily when there’s a bunch of insulin coursing through your body. But it’s not just about weight. Too much glucose and insulin are major culprits in many diseases (for more on the relationship between sugar and cancer, read this).

What foods have the least/most sugar?

The World Health Organization recommends that we get no more than 10 percent of our calories from added sugars (5 percent is even better!). The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 tsp (24 grams) of sugar daily for women and 9 tsp (36 grams) for men. These are general guidelines, so work with your doc to find a daily amount that fits your unique needs.

Also, remember that not all sugars are created equal! But I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you don’t have time to memorize all of these sugar stats. Luckily, you don’t have to…

My Sugars Ranking Chart

I’ve done a little of the heavy lifting for you by creating a ranking system for sugars. If you haven’t yet, grab your free printable sugar guide and keep reading to find out how the ranking system works.

Group A: These foods are your best bets. These foods are the total package because they give you fuel, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Beans, whole fruits, whole grains and lentils are great Group A examples that will keep you satiated and your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. Fruit contains fructose, but nowhere near the concentration as processed candies and sweets. Plus, fruit has vital nutrients, cancer-fighting antioxidants and fiber, all of which promote a healthy you. The key is to enjoy fruit that’s naturally high in fiber, low in sugar and has a low glycemic index (GI—more on that in a sec). Reach for raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, pears, citrus fruits, apples and plums. Limit the higher GI fruits like bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, raisins, pineapple, cherries and mangoes (as well as fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates). Group B: These sweeteners have a little something to offer beyond just the glucose energy. Dried fruits have a higher GI than whole fruits since they’re highly concentrated, but are a good source of micronutrients. Think of them as an occasional treat! Just make sure to check the labels and avoid added sugars or preservatives. Some other grade Bs include sweeteners such as maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, yacon syrup and lucuma. These sweeties are better options than the C group because they have a lower GI or offer some vitamins and minerals.

Group C: These are your worst options. They are high GI and don’t bring anything but sugar to the party. One trick ponies! While jelly beans, soda, candy, pastries and brownies may give us a boost of energy, they offer no nutritional benefit. Plus, consuming such a high level of simple sugars can cause fat to be produced and accumulate in the liver. Someone who binges on donuts can end up with a liver just as fatty as that of an alcoholic (often called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).

Glycemic Index

How can you learn to make better choices when eating carbs and sugar? Enter the dazzling glycemic index (GI), a measure of how quickly and how high a particular carbohydrate raises your blood sugar level. GI is a numerical ranking system that compares a given food to a pure sugar, such as white sugar. Because white sugar is all carbohydrate, it’s designated 100 on a scale of 0 to 100. The GI is a measure of carbs only; fats and proteins have no effect on the score.

Foods with a high GI value are almost always refined, simple carbs. Conversely, foods with low GI values tend to be unrefined, complex carbs. The difference between high- and low-GI foods lies mostly in how much fiber they contain. Fiber slows the digestion of sugars and keeps you even and peaceful. That’s why a plant-based, low-GI diet is one of the central tenets of a healthy lifestyle.

As a rule of thumb, any food that has a GI rank below 60 is a good choice, especially if you need to watch your blood sugar. In fact, people who stick to a low-GI diet are less likely to develop diabetes and other medical life lemons. Speaking of lemons, they fall solidly into the low-GI camp, as do berries, apples, pears, citrus fruits and plums.

And guess what? Not only can low GI diets prevent nasty diseases, they can also help to reverse them (source and source). Amen, glitter explosion! If you want to learn more, The GI Handbook by Barbara Ravage and The New Glucose Revolution by Jennie Brand-Miller and Kaye Foster-Powell are both great books for self-study.

Find out how your favorite sweets stack up–get instant access to the handy dandy (and free!) sugar guide I made for you.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings

If kicking sugary treats to the curb is on your to-do list, here are a few ways to get the job done without going bonkers:

Cold turkey—sometimes, tough love does the job! But, please keep one of my favorite mantras in mind: Progress, not perfection. No need to be hard on yourself if you slip up. And if this approach doesn’t work for you, try the other tips in this list!

Brush your teeth, floss, close up shop.

Incorporate sweet veggies, like yams.

Have a snack that’s high in protein and some fat, such as nuts, seeds and avocado.

Find some natural, healthy sugar substitutes you can count on (we’ll cover some of my go-to options in the next section!).

Juice up a green drink or smoothie with some good fat in it, like coconut or avocado.

Enjoy sliced apples with almond butter, cucumbers with hummus, or a baked sweet potato.

Go for a small piece (about 1-in square) of good-quality dark chocolate (70 percent or higher cacao).

Change your environment until the crisis passes. Go for a walk, call a friend, take a bubble bath, do some sun salutations, cuddle your pet, have hot sex!

Keep in mind that as your body gets used to less sugar, you may experience detox symptoms such as headaches, skin breakouts, insomnia, low energy, etc. Staying hydrated, resting, eating nourishing foods, gentle exercise and making yourself a priority can all help manage these symptoms as you transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy Sugar Substitutes

Add some natural sweetness to your life with these healthy sugar substitutes! Here’s some more info about the options so you can determine which one is the best choice for you:

Dates are relatively high in calories but they make a great natural sweetener. They have a low glycemic index and are great blended into smoothies and used in baking. Here’s a recipe for date purée, which you can use in place of sugar in many recipes!

Maple syrup is rich in antioxidants, unlike sugar which contains little to no antioxidants. And while maple syrup is high in natural sugars, it still has a lower GI than sugar. It also contains minerals such as manganese and zinc. To get the most beneficial antioxidants from your maple syrup, be sure to choose the darker Grade B type.

Stevia extract comes from the stevia plant and is 250–300 times sweeter than sugar. Because it’s so sweet, a little bit goes a long way (making it a nearly calorie-free natural sweetener). Too much stevia can cause indigestion and because it is a vasodilator, it’s not recommended for people with low blood pressure. To ensure you’re using the most natural and minimally processed product possible, look for 100 percent pure organic stevia that doesn’t contain other ingredients.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol made by fermenting the sugar found in corn. It looks and tastes like sugar but contains 0 calories. Erythritol contains some antioxidants to fight free radicals. Plus, it’s about 60 percent as sweet as sugar and does not impact blood sugar. Erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine, whereas other sugar alcohols aren’t absorbed well by the intestines. This makes it less likely to cause digestive stress than other sugar alcohols—however, overdoing it can cause diarrhea, gas, bloating or nausea. It is important to be sure you are purchasing GMO-free erythritol since it is made from corn, a commonly genetically modified crop. Look for erythritol that is USDA organic and has the non-GMO certified label on the packaging. Keep in mind, it can be pricey.

Lakanto is a non-GMO calorie-free sweetener made and used in Japan for more than 15 years. It’s a combination of erythritol and the sweetener from monk fruit. It can be substituted one-to-one for sugar and many people say that it works well in baking. Because lakanto is made of erythritol and monk fruit, too much can cause GI upset and it may have an aftertaste.

Yacon syrup, made from the yacon root, has about 20 calories per tablespoon (sugar has 48 calories per tablespoon). It’s rich in fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which act as prebiotics in the body. Yacon syrup may encourage weight loss as it tends to increase satiety and insulin sensitivity (research study). However, consuming more than a tablespoon a day may cause diarrhea, bloating, gas and/or nausea.

Monk fruit sweetener is about 150–200 times sweeter than sugar and is made from extracts of the monk fruit. It contains mogrosides, which are antioxidants that don’t raise your blood sugar when metabolized, making monk fruit sweeteners calorie-free. Some people do complain that these sweeteners have an aftertaste.

A note on agave: Agave was a popular sugar substitute for a while because it’s low on the GI scale, but we now know that it’s highly processed, contains a concentrated amount of fructose and lacks any beneficial nutrients. If you choose to use it at all, I encourage you to do so sparingly and consider trying some of the other alternatives we discussed above instead. You may spot agave in some of my old recipes, but it doesn’t make the cut for my list of healthy sugar substitutes today. This is a good reminder to stay on top of the latest research and consult with the experts (like my incredible nutrition team!)—I’m always learning and love sharing with you!

Natural, calorie-free sweeteners can be super helpful as you transition away from processed sweets. But keep in mind that a little goes a long way because they often taste sweeter. Plus, the less you use sugar and sugar substitutes, the more you’ll start to notice the incredible natural sweetness available in plant foods. Eventually, you may find that you don’t need added “sugar” at all—good for you (and your body!).

Treat your perfectly sweet body with respect for the work it does to power you through the day. Shocking your system by dumping a ton of glucose into your bloodstream doesn’t a good self-care strategy make. Powering your cells with glucose, vitamins, minerals and fiber, however, is solid sunshine gold.

Your turn: Have you struggled with sugar? Any great tips for how to get off the dragon? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Peace & peaches,

The post The Sticky Truth About Sugars, Sweets and Your Health appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

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9point81mpers-2-blog-blog · 6 years

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A calendar year of life-changing habits

I like to begin the year with some New Year’s Resolutions and whilst I very often veer off track quite quickly and crumple into a pile of guilt, I’ve learnt over the years that it’s not the quantity of my resolutions, but the quality, that counts. I need to make resolutions that resonate with me, become part of my day, my community. This year I’ve decided to incorporate one new habit at a time into my life. Despite being one rather fallible individual, I am extremely passionate about small change leading to big impact and here I’m setting out twelve life-changing habits that I believe are possible to make throughout the course of one calendar year. The order is not extremely important as each habit holds power on its own. The important thing is to adopt each habit fully and unconditionally before moving onto the next. You need to love each habit, make it work for you and only then will you start to see just how tangible and powerful these small changes can be.

***

January – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and compost?!)

An easy (but addictive) habit to start off with – recycling. Start now if you don’t already. Make reduce, reuse, recycle your life motto. Get a recycling container that’s bigger than your waste bin. Check the packaging of the things you buy. Check your local recycling. Locate recycling points in your area and loop them in to shopping trips to save time and energy. You’ll quickly become that colleague in the office that polices the rubbish bins for plastic bottles. Many councils also offer a food waste stream, which is used to generate green energy or you can compost the waste at home.

February – Reduce Meat and Dairy Intake

We don’t really need as much meat and dairy as the world (or our stomachs) tell us. If going vegan is one step too far (my husband is nodding), try meat-free-Mondays or skip dairy for a few weeks each year. It’s good for you and for the planet. With more and more veggie options available out there, you won’t be lacking choice, flavour and nutrients.

March – Shop Cruelty-Free

Whilst we’re on the topic of animals, my next step was to go cruelty-free and leather-free. It’s easy to reduce our meat and dairy intake to prevent animal suffering without considering the bigger picture. Leather is not a by-product of the meat industry. And just because bunnies don’t wash up or brush their teeth doesn’t mean our kitchen and bathroom cupboards are necessarily cruelty-free. Although I was extremely shocked by the number of products in my house that did not sport the leaping bunny logo or claim to be free from animal testing, it only took a couple of swaps and a bit of googling to restock my cosmetics and cleaning equipment. And shopping cruelty-free doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank with outrageously priced hipster products hand-crafted in someone’s yurt. Since animal testing is actually illegal in the UK, many supermarkets’ own brands will be cruelty-free (hello Tesco) and there are some great low-cost cosmetics out there like Superdrug’s own range, BWC and Sainsbury’s Purify. Some personal favourites include Ecover, Lush, The Body Shop, Faith in Nature and Original Source.

April – Grow Your Own Veggies

Spring is the time to start planting, or so I’ve heard. Unfortunately, I’ve never had much luck with growing anything (indoors or outdoors) but I’m keen to make 2018 the year I successfully nurture something edible. A good friend of mine recently purchased an allotment and now has tomatoes and courgettes for all eternity. Other possible options include local farmer’s markets or organic alternatives.

May – Buy Fair-Trade (Food)

There are some foods, however, that we cannot grow in our backyard or indoor greenhouse. One thing that strikes me again and again in this ever-more-globalised world is that I (really) have no idea where my food comes from. Although I reluctantly have to put a proportionate amount of trust in my supermarkets, there are a few choices that I know will definitely benefit those who grow and pack the food I buy. After being introduced to STOP THE TRAFFIK many years ago, I’ve learnt a well-kept secret of the industry that the foods most susceptible to child slavery are chocolate, bananas, tea and coffee. If you only make one swap to Fairtrade this month, make it count. Sure it may cost a few pennies more, but it’s more than worth it when you know that your cupboard basics are not fuelling the international slave trade.

June – Buy Fair-Trade (Clothing)

I’m sure we are all well aware (or “blissfully ignorant”) that sweat shops and child labour are still very much present in today’s clothing industry. And thanks to the increasing demand for fast fashion and cheap clothes, this trend isn’t declining any time soon. Although there are many brands that are fair-trade and sweatshop free, my main advice is to start in charity shops for the wardrobe basics and put pressure on big brands to change their production practices. Ethical consumer provides an excellent visual guide to shopping.

July – Cut Out Non-Recyclable Plastic

We’re already half-way through the year and I feel we’ve made some big changes to our buying habits. It also makes us more mindful of our connection to those around us and how each small choice can have a global impact. This month is the most challenging habit yet: cutting out non-recyclable plastics. My husband and I took on this “fast” from single-use plastics for Lent and it was the longest 46 days of my entire life. I was prepared for having to cut out crisps and biscuits and ready meals etc. But I was not ready for the extra time spent checking all of the packets of spinach in four different supermarkets until I found one that was recyclable (after two weeks of searching!). And with all good intentions of making our own bread and pasta, it’s incredible to think how much of the grub, gadgets and gifts we buy is coated with metres upon metres of non-recyclable plastic – plastic that will stay on this planet for the rest of eternity (or add to global warming during incineration). After the initial trauma of not being able to pick up a quick coffee and sandwich on the go and having to plan and prepare every single meal in advance, we settled into a rhythm of buying all of our fruit and veg loose (much to the cashiers dismay), stocking up on frozen goods in cardboard packaging and going without cheese for a couple of weeks. My top tips would be:

- Bio-degradable cling-film made from plants

- Bamboo tooth-brushes (some are better than others!)

- OraCare toothpaste (cruelty-free and in partnership with TerraCycle)

- Join a local zero-waste Facebook group for daily tips and encouragement

August – Reduce Single-Use Recyclable Packaging

Now we’ve cut our waste right down and we’re recycling the majority of packaging and composting food-waste, it’s time to reduce the amount of single-use products we buy. Time to purchase that pretty Ecoffee Cup (and get discounts on hot drinks out!), make use of re-fill facilities and buy in bulk where possible.

My husband and I recently visited U-Weigh in Hythe, a beautiful and typically English town on the Kent coast. Here you can bring you own containers and fill them up with pasta, rice, lentils, sultanas, popping corn, nuts, seeds, flour… you name it, they’ve got it – loose and in bulk. The owner laughed when I asked how long they’d been there. “Thirty years!” he said, although back then the shop served a very different purpose: mainly offering basic everyday products locally and at a reasonable price. Now they have a new kind of clientele: the zero-waste generation. Shops like this, as well as Ethos in Maidstone that offer refills of washing and cleaning liquids are the start (or rather the return) of a waste-not-want-not attitude to consumerism. And it’s up to us to support the movement.

September – Cut out Palm Oil

I wasn’t really aware that non-sustainable palm oil was still creeping into a large number of food products and cosmetics sold in the UK. A French friend of mine mentioned to me recently that she hasn’t eaten Nutella for years as her stand against palm oil – a French person abstaining from Nutella?! She must have good reason. It struck me that I always looked for the words in bold on packaging, checked for the little vegan symbol and then headed straight to the recycling possibilities; I completely glossed over this little ingredient. Nevertheless, after a quick bit of research I discovered that the palm oil industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses. Huge areas of rainforest are cleared to make way for palm oil production, land which could then remain infertile for years. There are, however many happy alternatives such as rapeseed oil and sustainable palm oil – just check for the RSPO label. After another round of packaging checking and research, I began to famliarise myself with products to avoid and the alternatives. Spoiler alert – you’re probably going to have to get a new favourite biscuit!

October – Speak up and get writing

By now I’m feeling a lot more aware about the ingredients of the products that I buy and the food that I eat. However, I can’t avoid the occasional snack on the go or an emergency purchase when we run out of toilet roll. It helps to remember that some changes are outside of my control. For bigger changes such as urging cafes to stop offering plastic straws and cutlery, asking councils to provide better recycling facilities or encouraging snack companies to re-think their packaging, we’re going to have to get writing, tweeting and petitioning. This year I’ve got a new found respect for Twitter and the ability to hold corporations to account publically and force them to respond regarding the ethos of their products, the recyclability of the packaging and the traceability of the ingredients. I’m sure my local MP is fed up of the emails I send but until we have Tetrapack recycling facilities in this borough I will not stop! This month I’m encouraging you to contact your MP or local council, sign a petition for an issue close to your heart and write to your favourite snack company and push for change.

November – Switch to Ecotricity

A nice easy one for the end of the year as we head back into the cold season. Switch to Ecotricity. The only UK supplier of 100% green electricity from renewable energy sources and 100% frack-free green gas. Although their customer service leaves a lot to be desired, the switch was quick and easy and they even gave us a free £25 Luch voucher – what’s not to love?

December – Start Volunteering

Finally, we’ve reached December. Christmas is coming, we’re feeling great about our life choices and the new habits we’ve incorporated into our lives. Now it’s time to give something back. Use those spare hours on a weekday evening to help at a local homeless shelter. Research active charities in your local area. Find something you’re passionate about and invest time and money into something worthwhile that gets you out of that work, gym, sleep repeat cycle. Helping others has been proven to fight depression, improve confidence and self-esteem and build community. Doing good does you good.

***

Let’s support each other on our calendar years of life-changing habits. Comment, share and encourage.

#ethical eco vegan fairtrade volunteer recyle

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ultimateloseweightdiet · 7 years

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lose weight weight-reduction plan

As wrestling season attracts close to, wrestlers start to ponder the burden class during which they could wrestle. Wrestlers usually consider that they are going to be extra aggressive on the lowest weight they will attain with out sacrificing their power and endurance. This is not at all times the case. Too usually, wrestlers find yourself dehydrated. They find yourself ravenous themselves and their efficiency suffers tremendously.

In case you’re in search of an article on slicing weight, this is not it. In case you’re the type of wrestler who can lose ten kilos in wrestling follow, this text might not curiosity you both. I may by no means sweat off a whole lot of weight, so I used to be at all times extra taken with manipulating my weight-reduction plan to lose weight. There are, in fact, a myriad of diets to select from. I merely wish to talk about ten diets of which I’m acquainted. Perhaps considered one of them will curiosity you and you may analysis it additional. Let’s discover.

1. Low Carb/Excessive Protein Food plan

The Atkins Food plan might be essentially the most well-known low carb weight-reduction plan. So, what precisely is a low carb weight-reduction plan? A low carb weight-reduction plan limits carbohydrates resembling bread, pasta, cereals, grains, potatoes and different starchy greens, fruit, and generally even milk.

The idea is that carbohydrates elevate blood sugar ranges which in flip elevate insulin ranges. Spiking insulin ranges is taken into account dangerous as a result of the thought is that insulin tells the physique to retailer carbohydrates as physique fats and prevents the physique from accessing physique fats as a gasoline supply. Supposedly, should you observe a low carb weight-reduction plan plan you possibly can lose extra physique fats with out having to drastically restrict your meals consumption.

Some low carb diets deal with limiting carbohydrates whereas rising one’s consumption of fats and protein.

Some low carb diets focus extra on the glycemic index. The glycemic index basically measures how a lot a given meals raises one’s blood sugar ranges. As an illustration, white rice might have a glycemic index of 58 whereas broccoli might solely have a glycemic index of 15. White bread might have a glycemic index as excessive as 71. The concept is weight-reduction plan composed of low glycemic meals will result in decrease insulin ranges which in flip might assist one lose weight.

Patrick Holford takes the glycemic index one step additional and makes use of an idea referred to as the glycemic load. The glycemic load takes under consideration the glycemic index in addition to the whole carbs in a given quantity of meals. As an illustration, a bowl of steel-cut oats (1 oz.) has 2 GL whereas a bowl of corn flakes has 21 GL. As well as, half an apple has Three GL whereas a banana has 12 GL. That’s fairly a distinction. Holford is a giant fan of oats. He claims in his e-book The Holford Low GL Food plan, “There are particular meals and meals combos that trigger speedy weight loss.” He claims that you’ll by no means really feel hungry on his weight-reduction plan. You restrict the variety of GLs you eat in a day and also you mix carbs and protein at every meal.

Tim Ferriss champions a weight-reduction plan he refers to because the Gradual-Carb Food plan. On this routine one avoids carbohydrates like bread, pasta, cereals, grains, potatoes, and so on. Then merely select one protein, one legume, and one vegetable for every meal. For instance, breakfast may be scrambled eggs, black beans, and combined greens. Lunch may be beef, pinto beans, and combined greens. And, dinner may be hen breast, lentils, and asparagus. Eat as a lot as you need at every meal and eat as much as six instances a day. However, at all times keep away from carbs and dairy merchandise and at all times embrace a protein, legume, and vegetable.

Some low carb weight-reduction plan books embrace Dr. Atkins’ New Food plan Revolution, Protein Energy, The Zone Food plan, The Carbohydrate Addict’s Food plan, The South Seashore Food plan, The Greenwich Food plan, The No-Grain Food plan, and Sugar Busters.

I suppose the principle attraction of low carb diets is that one can burn fats and spare muscle without having to limit the quantity one eats drastically. However, low carb diets could make one fatigued and irritable till one will get used to the low carb routine. Needless to say there are a number of totally different variations of low carb diets.

2. Paleolithic Food plan (Paleo Food plan)

The Paleolithic (Paleo) weight-reduction plan seeks to duplicate what people ate in the course of the Paleolithic Period. This weight-reduction plan may be known as the Stone Age Food plan, Cave Man Food plan, or Hunter-Gatherer Food plan. The Paleo weight-reduction plan is purported to advertise weight loss in addition to present excessive fiber, protein, and omega-Three fat.

Meals You Can Eat:

Lean Meat (skinless hen breast, turkey, cuts of lean beef like sirloin and extra-lean hamburger, cuts of lean pork, seafood)

Eggs

Fruits together with berries

Greens together with root greens like carrots

Nuts resembling walnuts, macadamia, almonds, pecans, and pistachios

Seeds resembling pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds

Olive oil, flaxseed oil, nut oils, fish oil, canola oil, and avocado

Meals To Keep away from:

Grains

Pasta

Bread

Cereals

Potatoes

Sugar

Beans

Dairy Merchandise

The Paleo weight-reduction plan could appear just like the low carb weight-reduction plan and it’s in some methods. As an illustration, it would not permit grain merchandise. Nonetheless, the Paleo Food plan does permit fruits. As well as, it makes a distinction between lean meat and fatty meat which I feel is useful. Furthermore, cheese may be eaten on a low carb weight-reduction plan however dairy is just not allowed on the Paleo Food plan as a result of it could not have been a meals consumed in the course of the Paleolithic period.

I just like the Paleo Food plan as a result of it supplies fiber, protein, and wholesome fat.

Three. Anabolic Food plan

The Anabolic Food plan was developed by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale. He developed this weight-reduction plan primarily for bodybuilders in search of a substitute for steroids and different medication. He states, “The Anabolic Food plan maximizes the manufacturing and utilization of the Large Three progress producers – testosterone, progress hormone, and insulin – and does it naturally. It additionally shifts the physique’s metabolism from that of a sugar burning, fats producing machine to that of a fats burning machine.” The Anabolic Food plan is a excessive fats/excessive protein/low carb weight-reduction plan with a twist. The Anabolic Food plan employs a technique referred to as carb biking. For instance, you eat a excessive fats/excessive protein/low carb weight-reduction plan for 5 days adopted by a excessive carb weight-reduction plan for 2 days.

A extra generic time period for this weight-reduction plan can be cyclic ketogenic weight-reduction plan or just carb biking. The concept is that you have to eat fats to burn fats. Yow will discover particular pointers about what to eat on low carb versus excessive carb days on-line.

So, it isn’t as strict as a low carb weight-reduction plan as a result of you possibly can carb up for a day or two. You continue to want to observe the whole quantity of energy that you simply devour since you’re not a bodybuilder making an attempt to achieve weight, you are a wrestler making an attempt to remain lean and even lose weight.

I’ve by no means tried this weight-reduction plan earlier than and do not know how it could work for a wrestler. I suppose, in idea, that one may eat low carb in the course of the week and carb up on Saturday when tournaments are normally held. However, consuming a whole lot of fats looks like a wierd concept to most of us. If this weight-reduction plan pursuits you, I’d recommend doing an web seek for anabolic weight-reduction plan or cyclic ketogenic weight-reduction plan to be taught extra.

four. Intermittent Fasting (IF)

It is a method of consuming of that includes biking durations of fasting (i.e. not consuming) and consuming. You may quick for 24 hours a couple of times per week. The concept is that fasting twice per week reduces the whole variety of energy one takes in throughout any given week. As an illustration, you’ll have dinner at 6:00 pm one night and never eat once more till 6:00 pm the next night. In case you usually devour three meals a day, then you definately would merely skip breakfast and lunch two days per week however nonetheless have dinner on these days. Certain you may get a bit hungry, however it’s solely 24 hours and you may solely do it about twice per week. You by no means technically need to go a day with out consuming. In case you eat at 6:00 pm on Monday, you possibly can nonetheless eat on Tuesday; you simply have to attend till 6:00 pm once more. e-book with regards to IF is Eat Cease Eat by Brad Pilon.

A considerably comparable fasting routine known as The Warrior Food plan created by Ori Hofmekler. On this routine, you eat one fundamental meal at night time and you’ve got the choice of consuming a small quantity of meals in the course of the day. You observe this routine each day. You may eat some vegatables and fruits in the course of the day. It’s also possible to eat small quantities of lean meats and eggs or a low-carb protein shake. You eat no grains or starches in the course of the day. At your fundamental night meal, you possibly can devour basically something you need however in a sure order. You eat greens first, then protein, after which should you’re nonetheless hungry you possibly can eat some carbohydrates.

Whereas utilizing the intermittent fasting methodology, you continue to wish to eat wholesome. Whilst you can principally eat what you need when not fasting, you continue to wish to eat vegatables and fruits and wholesome sources of protein and carbohydrates. You may eat different meals too (e.g. a dessert) however do not use your non-fasting interval as an excuse to binge on junk meals.

5. Physique for Life

Bodybuilder and entrepreneur Invoice Phillips was the founding father of Muscle Media 2000 journal and later acquired the ESA complement firm. He’s maybe most identified for authoring the e-book Physique for Life: 12 Weeks to Psychological and Bodily Energy. On this e-book he outlines a exercise technique and dietary technique to remodel one’s physique.

The dietary technique includes consuming six small meals a day which is believed to advertise steady blood sugar and insulin ranges. Small meals are additionally believed to be simpler to digest and assimilate than three bigger meals.

What are you able to eat for every small meal? You may eat a portion of protein and a portion of carbohydrate. You might be additionally inspired to eat a serving of greens with some meals. A portion is concerning the measurement of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist. A potato the dimensions of your clenched fist is a portion as is an apple. Two slices of entire wheat bread is a portion. A skinless hen breast the dimensions of your palm is a portion. It’s also possible to use MRP (meal alternative merchandise) shakes and vitamin bars like Myoplex, Met-Rx, Meso-Tech, Muscle Meals, and so on. that present protein, carbs, and different vitamins multi functional bar or shake.

Doable Meal Concepts:

One omelet and two slices of whole-wheat toast

Egg whites and oatmeal

Pancakes made with egg whites, oatmeal, protein powder, and fat-free yogurt

Mix one portion of low-fat cottage cheese and one portion of fat-free, sugar-free yogurt

One serving of chocolate MRP shake

Turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun

Hen breast, steamed brown rice, and broccoli

Grilled sirloin steak, potato, combined greens

One MRP vitamin bar

You might be additionally inspired to drink 10 glasses of water a day. You may devour one tablespoon of wholesome fats a day resembling olive, safflower, canola, sunflower, or flax seed oil. It’s also possible to devour small quantities of pure peanut butter and avocado.

You might be inspired to take in the future off per week and eat no matter you need.

This plan is sweet as a result of you do not have to rely energy and also you in all probability will not get hungry consuming six small meals a day. It might be onerous to observe if in case you have a busy schedule.

6. Match for Life

When Harvey Diamond co-authored Match for Life, he helped convey the idea of pure hygiene into the mainstream. This manner of consuming is not nearly how a lot you eat but additionally when and the way you eat it. This routine is predicated on the precept of correct meals combining. The concept is that totally different meals are damaged down in another way by the physique and due to this fact needs to be eaten individually. Harvey Diamond makes a distinction between dwell meals (high-water-content meals like contemporary vegatables and fruits) and lifeless meals (e.g. processed meals).

The Pointers:

Fruit is at all times eaten alone a minimum of two to a few hours away from every other meals.

By no means eat a couple of concentrated meals (i.e. protein or starch) per meal.

By no means mix starches and proteins (e.g. cereal and milk, bread and cheese, pasta and floor beef, fish and rice).

You may mix protein with greens or starches and greens.

Fats (e.g. butter, olive oil) is taken into account impartial. Nonetheless, do not mix fats with protein.

Eggs and dairy merchandise are discouraged.

Meat is discouraged however needs to be eaten alone or with greens if consumed.

Meal Concepts:

Breakfast – Fruit is inspired as a result of it’s the meals with the very best water content material and is taken into account to be the perfect meals to devour. So, you would eat two or extra oranges or two apples or two bananas or different fruits and fruit combos. Nonetheless, should you don’t love fruit you would have scrambled eggs with tomato and broccoli (i.e. protein and greens) or toast with butter (i.e. starch and fats). However, do not need eggs and toast or cereal and milk.

Lunch – You may have a big vegetable salad with some olive oil and lemon. You may skip the olive oil in your salad and put some items of grilled hen on it. You may have a vegetable salad and a few bread sticks. You may have vegetable soup and a few bread sticks. Alternatively, you would have avocado slices and different greens (e.g. tomatoes) between two slices of whole-grain bread. You may have a big baked potato with butter and greens (simply be sure you avoid bacon bits, cheese, and chili).

Dinner – You may have fish (or hen or beef), greens, and a vegetable salad. Or, you would have rice (or couscous or pasta) with greens, and a vegetable salad. Or, should you like potatoes, then you would have a giant baked potato with butter and greens.

If you would like milk, yogurt, or ice cream then eat it alone a minimum of two or three hours away from different meals.

If you would like fruit for a bedtime snack, then eat it alone a minimum of two or three hours after dinner.

The motivational speaker and self-help guru Tony Robbins is an advocate of meals combining. I’ve by no means tried it earlier than. The nice factor is that it focuses so much on fruit and greens. As well as, your energy could also be restricted (serving to with weight loss) when you possibly can’t mix starches and proteins, however a minimum of you possibly can nonetheless devour them should you select.

7. Excessive Carb/Low Fats Food plan

Some docs and nutritionists suggest a excessive card/low fats weight-reduction plan to lose weight and keep wholesome – the precise reverse of the low carb advocates. Some names related to low fats diets embrace Walter Kempner, Nathan Pritikin, Dean Ornish, and John McDougall. In accordance with Dr. McDougall, his weight-reduction plan is “a weight-reduction plan of plant meals, together with entire grains and entire grain merchandise (resembling pasta, tortillas, and whole-grain bread), a large assortment of greens, and fruit.”

The advocates of those diets declare that an individual can get pleasure from limitless portions of fruits, greens, and entire grains with out feeling hungry. These diets include much less fats and extra fiber than different diets.

In accordance with Dr. McDougall, “Carbohydrate is the physique’s most popular gasoline for each day actions and high-intensity train efficiency. Following a low-carbohydrate regime will impair efficiency.”

A baked potato is just about 160 energy and basically fats free. An apple is just about 100 energy and in addition basically fats free. A slice of entire wheat bread is just about 75 energy and basically fats free. A bowl of oatmeal is about 165 energy, four grams of fats, and four grams of fiber.

In distinction, a Three oz. patty of 85% lean floor beef (broiled) is about 213 energy and 13 grams of fats. And, a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese is about 510 energy and 26 grams of fats. Furthermore, a Snicker’s Bar is about 270 energy and 14 grams of fats.

I am undecided why everyone seems to be so fearful about cereals, potatoes, fruits, and breads. You may eat a whole lot of these meals for few energy should you do not add condiments.

Martin Katahn, creator of The T-Issue Food plan, believes that it’s primarily fats in your weight-reduction plan that determines your physique fats. He contends that protein and carbohydrate energy do not actually matter that a lot. So, his strategy is to rely the fats grams within the meals one eats and to maintain the quantity low. He does, nonetheless, warn folks to avoid extremely processed fat-free desserts and snacks. Get your carbohydrates from contemporary fruits, greens, and grains. As well as, eat lean meat, hen, and fish.

eight. Satiety Index

The Satiety Index (developed by Susanna Holt, PhD.) measures the extent to which sure meals present satiety (i.e. fill you up and fulfill your starvation). Sure meals are merely higher at filling you up than others.

For essentially the most half, meals which might be excessive in protein, water, and fiber present essentially the most satiety.

Carbohydrates are additionally higher at producing satiety than fatty meals.

All meals on the index are in contrast with white bread which is given the rank of 100.

Some Satiety Meals Rankings:

Croissant – 47%

Doughnuts – 68%

Yogurt – 88%

Corn Flakes – 118%

White Rice – 138%

Cheese – 146%

Eggs – 150%

Entire Meal Bread – 157%

Beef – 176%

Popcorn – 154%

Apples – 197%

Oranges – 202%

Oatmeal – 209%

Potatoes, Boiled – 323%

As you possibly can see, potatoes present a a lot larger degree of satiety than a croissant. Equally, oatmeal is extra satisfying than a doughnut. As well as, eggs are extra satisfying than yogurt. Seemingly, a sandwich made with entire meal bread with some lean beef or tuna together with an apple may make a satisfying and filling lunch.

An idea associated to satiety is caloric density or power density. Caloric density is the variety of energy in a certain amount of meals. Meals excessive in fats have the very best power density whereas meals excessive in water content material have the bottom power density.

As an illustration, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, grapefruit, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, carrots, oranges, and apples are very low in caloric density. Another low caloric density meals embrace oatmeal, grapes, low-fat cottage cheese, peas, corn on the cob, potatoes, rice, and pasta.

In distinction, meals resembling French fries, chocolate cake, pretzels, croissants, doughnuts, onion rings, chocolate chip cookies, bacon, milk chocolate bars, potato chips, and peanuts are a lot larger in caloric density. Although pretzels are basically fats free, they’re excessive in power density as a result of they lack water and fiber.

Contemporary corn (e.g. steamed corn or corn on the cob) has a caloric density of zero.92. Nonetheless, a corn muffin has a caloric density of four.14 and corn bread has a caloric density of four.27. So, select a giant bowl of steamed corn should you’re hungry.

Some low-fat cottage cheese and grapes may make a satisfying and filling meal.

9. Meals Alternate System

The meals trade system is a dietary routine mostly related to diabetic people. Nonetheless, the meals trade system can be utilized by any particular person as a information to assist them lose weight. Following this routine will help one to plan balanced and nutritious meals.

The meals on this system are divided up into classes: starches (e.g. bread, cereals and grains, starchy greens, beans and peas), fruits, milk and yogurt, meat and meat substitutes, greens, and fat.

You have to know what constitutes a serving measurement. As an illustration, a serving of starch could possibly be ¾ cup of ready-to-eat unsweetened cereal, 1 slice of bread, or ½ a bagel. A serving of fruit could also be one small apple, banana, or orange. A serving of milk could also be 1 cup of fat-free skim milk. A serving of meat could also be 1 ounce of meat, poultry, fish, or cheese. A serving of greens could also be ½ cup of cooked greens or 1 cup of uncooked greens. A serving of fat could also be 1 tsp. of butter or 1 tsp. of olive oil. These are only a few of the examples. There are additionally free meals like 1 tbsp. of fat-free mayonnaise or ¼ cup of salsa. As well as, there are methods of figuring out exchanges for sweets and mixture meals (e.g. casseroles, pizza, and soups).

For a 1,200 Calorie Meal Plan You Might Eat:

5 Starches

2 Fruits

2 Milks

5 Meats

Three Greens

four Fat

So, you might need a breakfast that accommodates 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, and 1 fats. You then would divide the rest of your exchanges amongst lunch, dinner, and presumably snacks. Some folks discover this simpler than counting energy.

A considerably comparable routine might contain utilizing the unique USDA Meals Pyramid as a information for consuming. In accordance with Jane Kirby (a registered dietitian) and the American Dietetic Affiliation, one can use the meals pyramid to plan a weight-loss weight-reduction plan.

A Doable 1,200 Calorie Meal Plan:

5 Bread group servings

Three Vegetable group servings

2 Fruit group servings

2 Milk group servings

5 ounces whole for a day for Meat group (divide up into 2 or Three servings in order for you from lean meats or eggs)

10. Counting Energy

Calorie counting is nothing new.

A Los Angeles doctor named Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters printed a e-book entitled Food plan and Well being, With a Key to the Energy in 1918. She advisable consuming not more than 1,200 energy per day, with considerably extra allowed after one’s objective weight was reached.

Energy in Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fats:

Carbohydrate = four energy per gram

Protein = four energy per gram

Fats = 9 energy per gram

Needless to say Three,500 energy = 1 pound of fats. Due to this fact should you minimize 500 energy a day out of your weight-reduction plan, you may lose roughly one pound per week (7 days x 500 energy = Three,500 energy).

A easy components for reducing weight is to take your present body weight instances 10 and eat that variety of energy each day to lose weight. For instance, a wrestler who weighs 150 kilos would eat 1,500 energy each day (150 x 10 = 1,500). To keep up your weight, take your body weight instances 15. A 125 pound wrestler wishing to take care of his weight would eat 1,875 energy each day (125 x 15 = 1,875).

Calorie counting is changing into fashionable once more. For instance, you’ll have seen packages of 100-calorie snacks within the grocery store.

You may nonetheless discover books itemizing calorie counts for frequent meals in addition to restaurant meals. And, nearly each meals on the grocery store accommodates vitamin data together with energy.

Calorie counting may be inconvenient. People generally get hungry on a calorie-controlled weight-reduction plan. Nonetheless, calorie counting works for many individuals.

Remaining Phrases

The perfect recommendation I’ve to provide is to easily wrestle at your pure weight. However, I do know that lots of will select to not since you assume you may be extra aggressive at a decrease weight. A few of you’ll have to chop weight to succeed in a sure physique weight as a way to make the crew.

I used to eat a whole lot of oatmeal and different cereals, entire wheat bread, rice desserts, potatoes, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, inexperienced beans, milk, yogurt, cheese, and lean meat throughout my highschool wrestling profession. I counted each calorie and restricted my fats consumption as a result of that is what labored for me.

It is attention-grabbing to look again at what I ate. I ate a whole lot of oatmeal which is low on the glycemic load, low in caloric density (when cooked with water), comparatively low in fats, and excessive on the satiety index. I did not know all of that again after I was wrestling. I simply knew that oatmeal was low in energy and offered a filling breakfast.

I additionally ate a whole lot of apples and inexperienced beans. These meals are low in energy and fats, however are excessive in water content material and fiber. As well as, I ate a whole lot of potatoes that are very excessive on the satiety index.

It’s possible you’ll be totally different.

Maybe you are a kind of guys that may lose 5 to 10 kilos of water weight in a follow. Or, maybe you want meat and, due to this fact, a low carb weight-reduction plan would go well with you higher.

Even a number of the biggest wrestlers can turn into disheartened with weight-reduction plan and slicing weight. Three- time NCAA wrestling champion and Olympic silver medalist Barry Davis cracked as soon as when confronted with the pressure of slicing weight. He nearly missed the Large Ten Match in 1982 due to the strain of slicing weight. Many different nice wrestlers have had powerful experiences slicing weight as nicely.

However, John Smith (two-time Olympic gold medalist and winner of a number of world championships) took a special strategy to weight management. He disciplined himself to take care of year-round weight management (in keeping with Wrestling Robust by Mike Chapman). Smith saved close to his competitors weight all year long.

Different wrestlers have had success by working onerous and wrestling close to their pure physique weight and generally slicing no weight in anyway.

In case you resolve to chop weight for wrestling, please do not starve and dehydrate your self. It is unhealthy, harmful, and can most probably harm your efficiency. Strive at all times to eat balanced and nutritious meals. In case you resolve to lose weight, work out what works finest for you.

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#health #fitness #diet #lose weight #weight loss

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keto-kitty · 7 years

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Nutritional PSA: Cravings!

I’ve seen a lot of people, both on here, and on other sites struggling with cravings, and I know I do a lot of the time too, so, here’s a list of things you’re craving and what to eat instead of that entire pizza you really want. And I want. So much want. And because I have literally nothing to do rn, I’m waiting on a delivery that has a 12 hour slot! 12 hours! Why?

CRAVING SALT: Crisps? Pretzels? Marmite? Am I the only one who eats marmite straight out of the jar? Yeah, I thought I might be. You could have an electrolyte/mineral deficiency or possibly dehydration. Have a drink, preferably something un-caffeinated and see how you feel. Still want that salt after 20 minutes? Salted nuts, a small handful of salted crackers, or just do what I do and lick salt off your hand. Boyfriend thinks it’s nuts, but it works! If you’re doing keto, you may find you need more salt than usual, particularly if you’re just entering ketosis as you’re literally peeing out all of the minerals in your body. Get yourself a good vitamin and mineral tablet and keep drinking! Table salt is better than nothing if that’s what you want to do, but have a shop around and see which salts you can get that contain more minerals other than just sodium

CRAVING SUGAR: the craving that always gets me - sugar is pretty addictive, but it’s also pretty delicious, and even if we don’t think we’re eating that much of it, it’s still alarmingly abundant in pre-prepared foods, it’s even sprinkled on ready to eat chicken thighs! Go for fruit, it has sugar but it also has vitamins and minerals and fibre, or if fruit isn’t your thing, measure out a small portion of ice cream or chocolate and sit down and eat it, focus on it, don’t eat it in front of the TV, that’s how you accidentally eat an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s. For ketosis, if you have an overbearing sweet craving, indulge it; find really good quality dark chocolate, the longer you’re in ketosis, the more your taste buds will change and something you previously found unpalatable may suddenly be quite sweet. Lindt do really good dark chocolate with pieces of orange and almond, or Divine do a good one with orange and ginger. Or if you need that ice cream fix, buy small tubs, they’re usually 20-25g carbs, or Ben & Jerry’s do tiny ice cream sandwiches at 21g carbs per 2 which is awesome. The cravings go after a while, but sometimes it’s nice to have a sweet treat. Just treat it as a treat, rather than a regular part of your diet.

CRAVING PASTA/BREAD: is it half past 3 in the afternoon and out of the blue you really really fancy some bread? Or pasta? Or even a packet of digestive biscuits? Could be you’re just hungry - if it happens often, have a look at what you’re eating for lunch, it may be fashionable to have a salad, or you might think you’re eating better by having low fat everything, but fat is much more filling than carbs, try changing up your lunches a bit, or take a portion of nuts or some fruit for the inevitable mid-afternoon flop. If it’s a constant craving, you might be deficient in nitrogen or chromium - eat some green leafy veg or tomatoes, grapes, apples, nuts, or if like me you hate veggies, get a good multivitamin. But really you should try and eat your veggies, they are good for you even if they taste like grass. On a more serious note, if you have overwhelming cravings for carbs and they start to have an impact on your quality of life, or you constantly find yourself overeating on them and unable to control yourself, this is a sign of depression and attempting to self-medicate to raise serotonin levels, get yourself someone to talk to; a doctor, a friend, a teacher, even your cat, someone who makes you feel safe and able to talk through your feelings without judging you.

CRAVING JUNK/FATTY FOODS: really want that burger? with cheese? extra bacon? Nothing wrong with eating fatty foods, anyone in ketosis will tell you that, but if you need fats, do it at home. Get a good quality burger from your local butcher and some good streaky bacon and your favourite cheese and do it at yourself! It may not be cheaper but it’s better for you, you’re eating good quality food and you’re not contributing to the profits of huge corporations like McDonalds and Burger King. Constantly craving junk? Have a look at what else you’re eating during the day, are you one of these bizarre people that forgets to eat? Yeah, you’re probably hungry, eat more in general, or more often, and the cravings should go away. Or if you’re currently dieting and all you want to eat is meat and cheese, maybe change the way you diet; try a ketogenic or paleo diet, the carb cravings go away after a while but I’ve never known a craving for bacon to go away.

CRAVING MEAT: this was a problem I had when I was vegetarian many years ago, I didn’t understand how food worked, didn’t really know what protein was and lived primarily on pasta and potatoes. Not the healthiest. If you’re craving meat a lot you might be low on iron, if you suspect you have anaemia, get yourself to a doctor to have a test, they’ll be able to direct you to a good course of action to get you back on track. If your iron levels are fine, you might just be lacking sufficient protein in your diet; depending on your eating style, have a couple of chicken legs, a piece of fish, some eggs, or a bean burger. Gone are the days of bland vegetarian food, there are some super amazing bean burgers out there that even carnivores are going to love!

CRAVING FIZZY DRINKS: first of all, are you thirsty? I want to write go drink some water, but tbh I never drink it and I’d feel a bit “do as I say, not what I do”, so if you like water, go drink it, if you don’t, put sugar free squash in it, or switch out your sugary drinks for diet versions, if you’re not sensitive to aspartame or whichever artificial sweetener is used in your drink of choice. Next port of questioning is is it the drink you want or the caffeine? I get through 2 cans of sugar free red bull a day, I’m pretty sure it’s not the drink I’m going for when I open that fridge, cause Lord knows there are better tasting things, but the caffeine. If you have a caffeine dependency that revolves around coke and pepsi you may not even realise you have one but both of these contain caffeine. If you’re concerned about your intake, try a caffeine free version, see how you feel. If it’s just the drink you want, you could be lacking calcium; seeds, cheese, yoghurt, canned salmon, beans and lentils, all are a good source of calcium, but remember you also need vitamin D to absorb the calcium. If you live somewhere it isn’t very sunny this time of year, or you work nights and rarely see the sun, maybe consider a vitamin D supplement, or a sun lamp, but the NHS advises not to go taking calcium supplements.

Remember everything in moderation; if you’re out and you fancy Burger King, go get some, haven’t had breakfast and you walk past a pastry shop and a croissant catches your eye, buy it. Don’t feel guilty about treating yourself, if you’ve lost 1kg or 10kg, you’re allowed a treat now and then, you can have a cheat day (well, maybe not in the same way on a keto diet) and not ruin your progress. If you trip up and accidentally eat 2,000 calories of Chinese take away (we’ve all done it), get up, dust yourself off and carry on. You’re not going to put the pounds back on just from one day’s over-indulgence.

If you’re at all concerned about your diet or cravings, or you’re feeling run down or tired all the time, do go see a doctor. There could be an underlying problem like anaemia, or a hormone imbalance, or an infection somewhere that you’ve ignored thinking it would just get better and go away. It might feel like you’re bugging them for no reason, but this is what they’re paid for, and believe me, they prefer to see you when you’ve got a cough than when you have to be rushed to A&E a few months later with a life-threatening respiratory infection.

This has been a PSA that turned out a lot longer than I thought it would! And my delivery still isn’t here!

#diet #keto #cravings

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theforkedspoon · 7 years

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Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa

A fair mix of sweet, spicy and salty, these Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa are deliciously addictive, but so super healthy!

I have to be completely honest- it is incredibly difficult to get a blog post started when my child decides to wake me up at 4am.

I mean, I don't understand kids. They have eyeballs. They can see. And they should see that it is still DARK outside. In the case of this morning it wasn't even a little light out either, it was dark dark.

Apparently my child is a morning person (I have no idea who he got this from) because he was up and ready and charging downstairs at the dark hour of 4AM ready to play, all while demanding that I read to him.

hell no.

Sorry kid, it's still dark out.

By 6am I finally allowed us to go downstairs. I turn on the TV (I know, worst mom ever) and I proceed to pass out on the couch. Meanwhile, my husband comes strolling downstairs at 7:15am showered and cleaned and appearing to be well rested.

But no. What does my dear husband say? oh man, i'm so tired. I really need to sleep in this weekend.

You guys, I can't even.

So I layed there on the couch and didn't move, deciding to do what Octavian does and pretend I hear nothing.

Anyway, enough about that. Let's chat about something more appealing, like food! Always my favorite, and these tacos are not to be missed! Truly, these surpassed my expectations by a million since lentils are often bland and boring if they aren't prepared right.

Um, these were prepared right.

Thanks to the spicy and salty tomatillo salsa and the sweet mango pomegranate salsa, these tacos have the perfect mix of salty, sweet and spicy. Of course, if you don't care for spicy foods, you can always leave out the jalapeños, or add just one. To these tacos I also added roasted cauliflower. We all know I love cauliflower, so this addition was a no-brainer. Plus, it adds more veggies, which is a win in my book.

There are several steps and moving parts to this recipe, but each are so simple and most can be done ahead of time. In fact, I highly encourage you make extra of the whole thing- the leftovers are fantastic and can feed you for a week!

winning!

love this recipe? you may also enjoy-

Slow Cooker Pineapple Pulled Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

Summer Shrimp Tostadas with Sweet Strawberry Salsa

Vegetarian Kitchen Sink Tacos with Tempeh

Mexican Street Corn Tostadas with Chipotle Black Beans

Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa

prep time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35-40 minutes total time: 1 hour yield: 4-6 servings recipe adapted from ambitious kitchen

INGREDIENTS

for the mango pomegranate salsa- 2 mangos, pitted and diced 1 cup pomegranate seeds 1/2 small red onion, diced 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon lime juice 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

for the cauliflower- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin salt + pepper

for the salsa verde- 1 pound tomatillos 2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise 5 unpeeled cloves of garlic 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro juice from 1 lime salt + pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups water 3/4 cup uncooked rinsed lentils corn tortillas additional lime and cilantro, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line two baking sheets with foil.

First prepare the lentils. To a medium pot over high heat add the the water and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer the lentils for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are fork tender (not mushy!) and most of the water has been absorbed. Once cooked, remove from heat (yes, even if all the water has not been absorbed), and drain using a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

Prepare the salsa- In a medium bowl combine the diced mango, pomegranate seeds, red onion, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix well and cover. Set aside until ready to use.

Transfer chopped cauliflower to baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, ground cumin and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Carefully toss to coat. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast cauliflower for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until completely cooked and browning on the top and edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, as the cauliflower is cooking, start preparing the salsa verde. Start by removing the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them under warm water. Cut each tomatillo in half and place side down on prepared foil-lined baking sheet. To the same sheet add the garlic and jalapeno halves.

Once the cauliflower has finished roasting remove baking sheet from the oven and set oven to broil. Add the baking sheet with the tomatillos and broil for approximately 6-10 minutes, or until the skin of the tomatillos has blackened and the skin of the jalapeños has darkened. Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.

Remove the garlic cloves from their skin and place in a blender or food processor, along with the tomatillos and jalapeños. Add the lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper, to taste. Blend until smooth.

Stir in approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the salsa verde in with the cooked lentils. Save any remaining salsa to use as extra.

Assemble each taco with a scoop of lentils, cauliflower florets and fresh mango pomegranate salsa. Add sour cream or shredded cheese, if desired (not shown).

Enjoy!

#cauliflower #tomatillos #Pomegranates #cilantro #mango #Corn Tortillas #red onion #oranges #limes #Jalapeno #lentils

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girishprb · 7 years

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Montana 7: Upper Two Med

This time I drove from Lake Bowman to Two Medicines trailhead. I’d like to believe that I was more cautious and considerate while driving compared to Manasi :P When we were passing through a pub and a bakery, instantly Shruti's caffeine addiction kicked in and we stopped by. Although bakery would be the right place to grab a cup of coffee, Shruti insisted on going to the pub at 10 am in the morning! Her cravings were making her go cuckoo I guess! The pub had ample seating outside and was rather small and cozy on the inside. The owners themselves were surprised when we entered and asked for a cup of coffee! They just had regular coffee and Shruti settled for it for the time being. Just for curiosity's sake, we then entered the bakery and Shruti sadly realized that there were a ton of coffee options. I offered to drink the rest of the pub coffee and she happily placed an order for cafe latte! I had to add more sugar and creamer to make Shruti's coffee drinkable :P (She thinks I put too much milk and sugar and that I absolutely ruin the core essence of coffee)

This place was not just a bakery like we initially assumed but also a grocery shop, a gift shop and a bookshop put together. While Manasi disappeared for a brief period to freshen up, I and Shruti spent time exploring the second-hand book collection, a variety of gifts that ranged from huckleberry earrings, rings, t-shirts and camping supplies. Shruti truly believes in supporting such local stores and she almost bought a book on snow hiking and camping and some jewelry! On our way out, we met this friendly old lady who wished us good morning and I think we saw a pretty little bird perched on a pole that nobody else remembers :)

When we passed Apgar village, we had a choice. Either get out of the park and reach Two Medicines an hour early or go through the only road in the national park - 'Going to the sun road' and get possible delayed by the long weekend crowd. Shruti wanted to stick with sensible option - get to Two Medicines early, start the hike early and reach the campsite well before sunset. I wanted to go through the glorified 'Going to the sun road' since I wasn't sure if we would have ample time on our last day to drive through it. As I was driving, I took the liberty of choosing the slower route much to Shruti's annoyance. I had high hopes since this was supposed to be one of the most scenic drives in the country but was later disappointed because the visibility was terrible due to nearby forest fires. Still, the drive was decent, through the mountains, through a pass and then descended towards St.Marys lake.

It was a warm, windy day and the smoke made it even worse. By 1.30 pm we were hungry, thirsty and feeling slightly gloomy, hence we decided to lift our spirits by a quick stop for lunch by Lake St. Marys. The lake itself was gigantic, and on any other day, I am sure it would have been very beautiful. There was a scenic boat tour center and a ramp which should have been thriving with visitors from all our the country at that moment if not for the ill-timed forest fire. We chose a secluded spot to cook pesto pasta between the rocks, very close to the lake itself. Shruti made a windshield for the propane-based stove from the little rocks and I sat in front of it providing extra protection. To fasten the cooking process, Shruti placed a lid on the container and tiny stones on top of it so that the lid wouldn't blow away. One of the stones fell into the pasta to give the pasta an earthy flavor! Due to high flames, the pasta at the bottom got stuck to the container but on the whole, it tasted great and was filling :)

The drive from St.Marys to Two medicines was through state highways and we finally reached the park's south-east entrance (Two medicines) around 3 pm. Shruti did not have the national park permit handy and didn't really know where she'd placed it, so we honestly told the ranger that we have it but not really sure where we've kept it and the old man completely trusted us and let us through. I know this is a long shot, but if you're reading this post, we three are really grateful and wholeheartedly thank you for that generous deed! In my last trip to Grand Teton, a similar thing happened where the permit card fell through a crack near the cup holder slot when we were in the queue near park entrance! We still hate that Dodge Grand Caravan, I wonder who designed its interiors! The ranger was bewildered to listen to the 'just-lost' story, but trusted us and let us through! (Yes, we got that card back. The rental place staff helped us recover it).

Backpack weight plays a very crucial role in the entire backpacking experience. In our Grand Teton trip, for 4 people we carried a 15 pound 6-person tent much to the surprise and amusement of other fellow backpackers! This time, the only thing that I carried but did not use was a pair of chopsticks :P (Why did I ever carry chopsticks? Well you need to wait for a blog on my Olympic National park backpacking adventures!) Shruti had a checklist and we packed meticulously to ensure we had all the essentials covered, rest of the stuff was thrown in the trunk. Our walking sticks were extended, the caps and sunglasses came out and we were finally off on this 22-mile loop hike for the next two days!

At the start of the trip, how does one lift the spirits of the group and get the conversation going? Well, I think non-veg jokes are the way to go! I started with the one with the king with his babe queen that he didn’t trust, the war, the blade, and his trusted minister eventually losing his tongue :) That was followed by some silly old-school jokes and then I narrated of famous Karadi audio (originally in Kannada) in English that surprisingly both Manasi and Shruti didn't know about! Next, we personalized our signaling mechanism - mine was a standard high pitched 'koooo-koooi'. Shruti and Manasi took time to think and ended up copying mine more or less :P

The first part was a 5 odd mile hike with gentle elevation gain, through meadows, an adventurous rope bridge and around the Two Medicines lake to reach our campsite at Upper Two Medicine. Luckily, at this time, most of the day hikers were done for the day and backpackers had probably already setup up tents. We were the only ones for the most part of the hike and that gave us the chance to truly appreciate the wide variety of flowers, trees, and birds. As time went on, the topics that we talked about changed too and as we were deep in conversation as we approached the upper two medicine lake and suddenly saw a movement on the right side behind a tree. Instantly all of us froze up, with our hands going to the bear spray and then cautiously moved forward to find out that it was a huge Moose that was peacefully grazing! This was our first wildlife sighting and we initially didn't know how to react because nothing about Moose encounter was ever mentioned in that survival video! After few seconds we realized that the Moose did not care about us whatsoever and we moved on without bothering it as well. #LiveAndLetLive

The last stretch had decent elevation gain and we slowly huffed and puffed our way to the campsite. At around 6.30 pm we reached the camping area and at the entrance, there was a signboard that mapped out parts of the campground. We directly headed to the cooking area to store food in the food bins. Keeping food or anything that smelt near the campsite is a STRICT NO-NO Policy since the wildlife should never learn that food is available near the tents. Most of the campers were near the cooking area and were almost done with their meal by the time we reached there. One guy asked us if we saw where our campsite was and then revealed that there was only one empty campsite left, at the very end. Just beyond the cooking area was yet another beautiful lake where we cooled off, pumped fresh water for cooking and drinking and relaxed for a few minutes.

Usually last available campsite meant a really shitty one and I had very low expectations. We were surprised to find that it was actually a good campsite with trees around for shelter. After quickly setting up the tent, we headed back to the cooking area which was empty now and Shruti starting making Khichdi with rice, lentils, salt, pepper and hint of curry powder. While the pot was boiling, we resorted to our novels for a while and stopped once the friendly stars appeared one after the other to cheerfully greet us Hi. By the time we started eating Khichdi it was probably around 7.45 pm and we had to switch on headlamps. While eating, Manasi detected a huge black moving shape between the trees, her reaction startled us and we all flashed the torch to find out that our peaceful Moose was thirsty and was heading towards the lake. Three guys from neighboring campsites shortly followed and asked if we saw anything, there was faint panic in their voices. Apparently, this Moose went between their tents, scaring everyone on its way to the lake!

We made a quick pit stop by the pit toilet before calling it a night. Probably the tree shelter was a little too much as there was no wind at all throughout the night. Manasi could not sleep that night and I offered her my pillow hoping that would help. I started feeling hot under the sleeping bag and ended sleeping on the sleeping bag until early morning, switched directions in the middle of the night as I wanted to keep my socks on but also didn't want to knock Shruti out cold with stinky feet :)

Any guesses on who woke us up the following morning? I'm sure you guessed it right - The Moose!

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laurajanecostello · 7 years

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In our house – and I’m assuming in most where there are toddlers – snacking is key. Snacking can help avoid screaming on the bus. A handy snack can divert interest from something she shouldn’t be doing or can bridge the gap between lunch and dinner when out and about. Because they’re so useful like that, it’s always been important for us to keep our snacks light, tasty and fun.

When it comes to snacking, there is one brand that seems to have filled up our cupboards and peaked little lady’s interests. That brand is Kiddylicious! Since the day we first discovered their wafers on a trip to Sainsbury’s, Eden has been hooked. Her addiction grew through from wafers through to veggie straws – we even survived the Great Veggie Straw Drought of 2017 – and we enjoy discovering new products as they come out.

One of my favourite things about Kiddylicious snacks is that most of their snacks are suitable for vegetarians and free of milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, sesame seed, soya, gluten, suphur dioxide and fish! It means most little ones can experience the joy of a snack from Kiddylicious. (Do check before buying if your child has any intolerances – there’s a handy chart HERE)

Here’s a round up of our ten favourite Kiddylicious snacks!

10. Banana Fruity Puffs

Closely followed by Strawberry and then Blueberry flavours. Whilst these are not Eden’s favourite, she still enjoys the melty goodness that comes with tucking into a bag of these.

9. Raspberry Crispie Tiddlers

We’re yet to find their banana counterparts. These always go down a hit. I quite enjoy these too as they’re a little bit of jelly and a little bit of crunch too. Yummy!

8. Apple Crisps

Closesly followed by their banana counterparts. These also come in pineapple, but we are yet to come across those ones. The apple ones go down well between meals when she’s looking for something to crunch. All the goodness of apple with none of the mess or core-politics associated with handing over an actual apple.

7. Splashed Rice Cakes

Eden has never been a huge fan of rice cakes, but she likes these ones. Personally I prefer when she eats the yoghurt ones rather than the chocolate ones, as it’s less mess. She did go through a phase of taking all the yoghurt off and feeding the rice cake to the dog, but nowadays she tends to scarf the whole thing. Thankfully she shares, because I love these too!

6. Fruit Wiggles

Little wiggles of joy! Eden’s favourite are the strawberry ones. My favourite are the apple ones. We’re yet to find the tropical ones. My only issue with these is that they disappear too quickly. They could almost be passed off as sweets, but they are made with fruit. The Kiddylicious website suggests using them in a recipe that requires fruit, which is something we need to try.

5. Quinoa Crisps

Along with the Chickpea crisps and Lentil Crisps, Eden loves these. I find they’re fab with a particularly long day ahead because they help release energy slowly. They pack a nice crunch and the portions are pretty good too. The lentil crisps smell a bit like feet in the way only a sour cream and chive flavoured thing can, but they’re delicious all the same. These keep Eden super!

4. Smoothie Melts

The Banana, Mango and Passion Fruit variety of these are like a drug when you’re Eden. I’m not a huge fan because they are MESSY! But they work a treat when brought out on a particularly moody day. They also come in strawberry and banana/blackcurrant and apple flavours. They really are like a smoothie in a bag.

3. Oaty Bars

The rasberry variety of these are the only ones that exist if you ask Eden, but they actually also come in carrot and banana flavour. We love these as a breakfast time snack, maybe on the way if we are going out for breakfast to keep tummy rumbles a day.

2. Wafers

Eden is completely obsessed with these! Like, ridiculously so. I love these little melt in the mouth miracles too. The favourite in our house is strawberry, then banana, then blueberry and then carrot, but it changes almost weekly. We generally try to make sure we have a stock of these as they come everywhere with us. Most recently, Eden enjoyed some strawberry wafers at the cinema for a special screening of Paw Patrol. They come in packs of two, which is obviously so parents can share too! *ahem* These recently won a Product of the Year Award.

1. Cheesy/Veggie Straws.

In my opinion, these things are truly the jewel in the Kiddylicious crown. They are the holy grail of baby snacks. There’s not much Eden wouldn’t do for a bag of these little beauties. We quite literally hoard them in our house and usually have one or two packets with us wherever we go. They are magic. Actual magic. And as a bonus, they are made from actual vegetables, which is always a good thing! All hail the king of snacks!

They’ve recently brought out a range of toddler meals, which we are excited to try when we next come across them. Honestly, the thing I love best is that Kiddylicious products mix good variety, healthy options and convenience together and come out with a product that fits the needs of a growing family. Eden will be two in December and some of the things she snacks on are aimed at babies “from six months”, but she loves them all the same. I feel like there’s something for every occasion in the range and you always get the best ingredients making up a balanced product.

You can Find Kiddylicious via their Website, Facebook and Twitter and it you need to satisfy a snack urge RIGHT NOW, their shop is here. They sell a Trial Box of their best sellers, which either features First Finger Foods (£5.80) or Tasty Treats For Older Tots (£7). These are a great introduction if you’re just starting weaning or if you’re not sure what your small human would like. They also sell what I lovingly call “Wafer Armour“(£2), to stop your wafers crumbling and taking over the bottom of your bag.

So, there you have a round-up of all the Kiddylicious goodness that happens in our house. There’s still lots of stuff for us to try, and with new products coming out all the time, there is a lot for us to keep track of. We’re yet to find a snack from this range that Eden doesn’t like and I hope you find the same!

Disclaimer – Some of the products mentioned were sent to us for the purpose of a review. All opinions remain our own. We received no financial incentive for this post.

#lesbian #mummies #trying to concieve #donor sperm #babies #two mums

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maryanash · 7 years

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Your simple guide to consistent healthy eating

THIS week we’re talking food – such a HUGE subject and one about which there is so much confusion. Food gets labelled good and bad, naughty or “a treat”, a syn and any number of other things. So It’s no wonder food has all sorts of special meanings for many of us. We give it a status when all it should be is fuel to keep us in tip-top condition to help us live our busy lives.

So I thought I’d enlist the help of one of our Slimpodders this week. Sammie Axton is such a great example of how you can change your relationship with food, lose weight and keep it off. She’s been eating consistently healthy for almost four years and has lost more than five stone and continued to effortlessly keep it off!

She’s gone from a near size 20 to a size 10 and stayed that size so Sammie’s top food tips are well worth paying attention to, I reckon!

Firstly, I asked Sammie what six foods she avoids putting into her shopping basket now and this was her reply (it’s lovely!): “I avoid Diet Coke and sugar in my cereal. I also avoid chocolate digestives (despite eating those by the packet once!), meat pies, Frosties and ready meals.

“The funny thing is I didn’t even realise I don’t buy them any more until you asked me about it! I didn’t actually think I’d stopped buying things completely but I have! Wow, that’s amazing.”

As you can see, Sammie doesn’t consciously deny or deprive herself of anything. She says if she has a small craving for something she’ll have it and then the craving disappears.

Next I asked Sammie for just six things she eats regularly each week. This was a big ask so I extended it a bit!

“Mackerel, chicken, eggs, spinach, broccoli, Ryvita and tomatoes. I sometimes eat potatoes, pasta and rice but my portion size has naturally reduced so much – I only eat about 5 pieces of pasta now where that used to be at least two handfuls. I now have Weetabix instead of Frosties for breakfast if I don’t have time to have eggs. I often have eight eggs a week!

“There is no effort involved in any of these healthy choices. It has become a habit to eat good food. I’m not rich by any means, but I can afford to eat good food because it really costs no more than all the rubbish I used to eat.

“In fact it probably costs me a lot less as I don’t eat ready meals or treats, which used to cost a lot of money. Plus I eat a lot less than I used to as my portion sizes are about half what I ate before. I do believe that the expense of food is actually a bit of an excuse.

“You can eat beautifully and healthily without spending a lot of money and if you get the whole family eating the same food you’re not making two meals. I obviously give my little lad more potatoes, pasta and rice than I have, but he has the same meat and fish.”

So that’s Sammie’s recipe for success!

Sammie’s way of eating is very similar to the principles of Mediterranean-style eating and I’m a great fan! I’ve been doing it for years – before it even had a name!

So here’s the seven principles of Med eating

It’s generally low in starchy, easily digestible carbs (sugary stuff!) but packed full of nutrition. Many clinical trials have shown that not only do people get multiple health benefits from this way of eating, but they are also good at sticking to it (unlike those who go on a low-fat/calorie controlled diets) because they find it easy and enjoyable.

And when you have a Slimpod programme you’ll find it even easier because you’ll actually WANT to eat like this and really enjoy it.

Minimise bread, pasta, potatoes, processed cereals, and rice— they’re a combination of refined and starchy carbohydrates which rapidly turn into sugars in the blood. Quinoa, whole grains, beans, and lentils are good and fill you up too!

Cut right down on sugar, sugary treats, drinks, and desserts. With a Slimpod that’s easy J

Eat more vegetables. There are so many wonderful vegetables to choose from. I must admit I’ve become quite a veggie addict. I love stir fries and dishes with lots of colour. Broccoli, spinach, red peppers, pak choi and carrots are in my basket every week.

Eat fruit, two portions a day is good. Go for berries, apples, and pears—unpeeled, as this is where most of the nutrients are – but don’t have too many high-sugar fruits like pineapple, melon or mango.

Include plenty of high-quality protein such as meat, oily fish, eggs, seafood, tofu, soy and, to a lesser extent. nuts, chickpeas, quinoa, lentils. The body doesn’t store protein so you need to maintain an adequate level in your diet to avoid muscle loss. It also helps to reduce appetite. Processed meats (e.g., bacon, salami, sausages) should be eaten in moderation.

Enjoy dairy products and eat more healthy fats and oils. Until recently people thought they should be avoiding full-fat dairy products. In 2014 a review by the British Heart Foundation which looked at the results of nearly 80 studies involving more than half a million people found no evidence that eating saturated fats leads to a greater risk of heart disease. In fact, they found that people with higher levels in their blood of a particular saturated fat called margaric acid (the sort you get in milk and dairy products) had a lower risk of heart disease. More recently scientists have said if you drink full fat milk you are 46 per cent less likely to develop diabetes! So use fats! They make food taste better. They are an excellent source of slow-burn energy. And, although ounce for ounce they are higher in calories than carbs, they keep you full for longer. Adding fat to starchy food (butter to potatoes, for example), will actually slow the rate at which the starch is broken down into sugars and absorbed. Eating healthy oils (olive oil, coconut oil and avocado) also improves the absorption of the essential fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).

Vinegar has been found to help reduce weight and shift deep-rooted abdominal fat. It has been shown to suppress appetite and also delays the breakdown of food into sugars in your gut. Amazing eh?!

There are a few good recipe books which follow these principles:

The Blood Sugar Diet – (ignore the word diet!!)

Joe Wicks – Lean in 15

And new this week – The Pioppi Diet by Dr Aseem Malhotra, a colleague of mine on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Obesity. I’m a huge fan of Aseem’s.work and I also support Action on Sugar, the campaigning group he co-founded. I’ll definitely be buying his book!

As you know, with Slimpod programmes we don’t tell you what to eat and what not to eat. However, over the past 10 years, my experience has led me to believe people are so confused about food that I feel some guidance is always welcome!

So my Boot Camp friends, your task for this week and beyond is to follow the principles of the Med way of eating. Invest in one of the recipe books but there’s also plenty of free info available online if you want to find out more. Post up pictures of your plates in Slimpod Club!

Sammie has also kindly offered to answer any questions you have. Simply tag her in Slimpod Club or write the question below this blog and I’ll make sure she sees it. Have a great week!

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Your simple guide to consistent healthy eating

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