Let me be the first to say, by no means am I a health professional. I have always loved the subject of health and I am always researching something to do with health or anything else that strikes a curiosity within me. These are just my thoughts on that nasty little word we call, “diet”. There are so many out there. A new spin may be added to a diet that has been around for awhile. I believe for most people, the word has a negative connotation because it reminds us of our upcoming restrictions. The number one reason for even considering this dreadful idea, is weight loss. Some do it because of health reasons, but most of us want to lose body fat.
When we choose to diet, many times we give up before we see results, only to try, try, try again. It is a vicious cycle. Although being healthier should be our number one goal, looking good is usually at the forefront of our mind. We want to look like all the celebrity photos we see posted throughout social media, eating whatever we want, whenever we want, while relaxing in front of the boob tube. Unfortunately, as most of us have found out, it does not work like that; discipline needs to be implemented.
Most, if not all celebrities, have had some kind of work done to their body, the photos are air brushed, or the photographer knows how to get all those right slimming angles. Also, they can afford personal trainers. Not to mention, their line of work is usually a workout in itself; especially if they are a singer. Their performances and countless hours of exhausting practices are muscle toners and fat burners.
Consuming too many calories in comparison to the amount of calories expended, is the culprit. As we get older and our metabolism slows down, muscle mass is decreasing, and if we are not doing strength training to maintain or grow our muscles, it is going to be all down hill at this point.
When we choose to follow any diet, before looking at how it claims to change our body, we need to look at how it affects our overall health, and is it something we could follow long term, as in, for the rest of our life! Instead of using the word “diet”, we need to consider it a lifestyle change.
Listening to your body and how it reacts to what you are feeding it is very important. In my opinion, cooking whole foods at home is the best way to eat. If you are pressed for time, then cook a couple meals one day when you have extra time and meal prep for the week to keep yourself on track.
I also find food apps such as Fitness Pal are great, not only for tracking your calories and macros (fats, protein and carbohydrates), but also keeping you on track by making sure you meet certain vitamin and mineral requirements each day.
I want to share my what I feel are great tips for being healthy, losing the body fat, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol,and monitoring your salt and sugar intake:
- When you plan to adopt a new way of eating, ask yourself, “Can I eat like this for the rest of my life?” If he answer is no, adopt a practice that you can.
- Eat a well balanced diet, consisting of a lot of vegetable (especially greens), some fruits.
- Your carbohydrates should mostly come from sources that provide other nutrients for your body, such as sweet potatoes or quinoa.
- Monitor your salt intake and try to use a salt that is natural like Himalayan salt or Celtic Sea Salt. Keep in mind, these are still salts so if you need to restrict sodium then by all mean do so.
- Use a lot of fresh herbs and salt-free seasonings to cook with.
- Give yourself time for your palate to adjust to new tastes.
- If you have been a person who loves salty food, the taste is not going to go away overnight. You are going to have to fight your way through the salt craving.
- Use a food app that will help you stay on track with your intake of calories, vitamins and minerals so you can alter your food choices in order to meet those nutritional needs.
- Each day pick one familiar or unfamiliar food to research and learn about the nutritional profile. You may be surprised.
- Plan ahead.
- Figure out the night before what you plan to eat the next day so you can reach your goals. For instance, if you use an app like Fitness Pal and you want to reach 100% of your iron intake each day, then planning ahead will allow you to make better food choices based on your needs, rather than just calculating calories and eating as you go. This will also help you target your macros better too.
- Buy fresh foods.
- Eat the rainbow.
- Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables to help save money.
- Take the family to an orchard and turn it into a fun family event.
- Find stores, farmers markets and co-ops that will help you meet your nutrition without robbing your pocket.
- Cook at home as much as possible. It saves money by stretching your food over the course of a few meals usually for the same amount of money, versus to buying out which most of the time only provides one meal. Cooking at home also allows you to control the sodium, fat and sugar that goes into your food.
- Exercise. Move that body. Find a fun way to keep active. One that will inspire you to keep moving.
- Many people have found intermittent fasting very helpful. This also gives your digestion a break from constantly being bombarded with food.
- Eat a balanced meal consisting of protein, carbs and healthy fat to give that satiated feeling. This will have you feeling fuller longer which will prevent overeating.
- Treat yourself to treats within reason and moderation. Just do not let the treats take you off course. If you do lose course, life is not over. Get back on by start over right away. This is a part of life!
- Eat slowly, chew your food and savor the flavor. Make love to your food as I say lol Most of the time we are rushing and eating mindlessly, never truly take time to taste and feel the textures of the food in our mouth which leads to over consumption.
- I know this is not always possible, but whenever you can, eat with friends and/or loved ones…enjoy each others company!
- Take time to relax and breathe after eating. This will produce better digestion.
- Experiment by being creative. Find ways to put healthy spins on the unhealthy recipe you love.
- Let’s not forget the importance of drinking a lot of water to flush out toxins, it keeps you hydrated, and gives you a full feeling.
This is not the end-all, be-all to changing your eating habits and becoming healthier. These are things that came to me off the top of my head that I have run across in my years of research and just some common sense. I hope this helps!
Buon Appetito! Buen Provecho!
