The key to your health.....and why you may not be losing weight....
Now, before I start, this is not a specific individualized
diet plan. These are nutritional facts
that I have learned that are general health information. If you have specific health needs, this is
never in the place of talking to a nutritionist or doctor. The reason I say that, is because sometimes
certain foods can have different effects from person to person. Always a smart choice to talk to that doctor
of yours – they’re the ones that studied for many years just to know what’s
best for you! Doc knows best.
BUT, I do know a lot of nutritional information that can
help you along your way. I’m going to
let you know information that maybe you’ve never considered or thought to check
out.
I’ve had people saying to me “Naomi, I want to eat the right
foods to lose weight/get stronger, but I have no idea even where to start!!” THAT is why I am posting this today. To steer you in the right direction and give
you an idea what to look for in a diet. I use the term ‘diet’ but I don’t mean it
in a negative context, I just mean the food you eat, okay?
Ever heard people say “You are what you eat” ?? Some truth to that and some fallacy to that.
*What you eat has a direct effect on how you feel.
*What you eat has a direct effect on the energy you
have.
*What you eat has a direct effect on how much weight you are
going to lose. Let’s be honest, and I’ll
be blunt for a moment. You are not going
to lose weight eating junk. No whining
or complaining that you’re not losing weight while sneaking cookies when no one
is looking. I’m saying let’s be honest,
because I know we (including myself) do that at times. Whine whine whine when we know exactly why we’re
not losing.
Okay, let’s move on with some positivity…
In order to lose weight, you need to EAT. Yes, you NEED TO EAT!! If you are seeing how mentally strong you are
by how long you can stay hungry, PLEASE PLEASE STOP. I say that with all the love I have! There is nothing sadder to me than seeing
people starve themselves. Your body
needs fuel. The problem people run into
is that they eat the ‘wrong’ kinds of foods and then put on weight. Your body needs the right foods to fuel itself
– and fuel to give you the energy to get those sweaty workouts in.
Here’s what Canada’s Food Guide says for nutritional eating:
Find your category in this chart and jot down how many of
what you need. Here’s a bit of
information in each category that will help you with your planning.
Vegetables and
Fruits –
*Choose at least one dark green and one orange vegetable a
day. (green such as broccoli, romaine
lettuce or spinach – orange such as carrots, sweet potatoes or winter squash). Dark green and orange veggies are rich in
vitamins A and C, and phytochemicals.
Big word for stuff that enhances your health. Gooood stuff!
*Choose vegetables and fruit prepared with little or no
added fat, salt or sugar (steamed, baked or stir-fried instead of deep-fried)
*Have vegetables and fruit more often than juices. Juices, a lot of times, are full of sugar as
well as the good stuff.
Grain products –
Grain products are usually the ones that fad diets get rid
of. This is where your energy comes from
when you want to push on when on the treadmill. This is also where the lack of
is the reason why you might be so tired.
This is your primary source of energy – don’t skip! Just pick the wholesome versions and it won’t
be detrimental to your daily diet.
*Make at least half (or more if you can!) of your grain
products whole grain (barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa and wild rice). If you don’t have a taste for them, try it
for a week – in personal experience, we used to never buy whole grains, and now
that we have for the past few years, I honestly don’t ever crave white bread
etc. Whole grains grow on you taste-wise
after a while.
*Whole grains are amazing (yes, amazing!!). They have dietary fibre and have nutrients
that your body needs.
Milk and
Alternatives –
*Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk every day. Have 2 cups of milk
every day for adequate vitamin D. If you
don’t drink milk try to have soy beverages that are fortified or fruit juices
that are calcium fortified.
*Try to select lower-fat milk alternatives (yogurts, cheese,
etc.)
*Milk and alternatives are amazing sources of calcium and
other vitamins.
Meat and
Alternatives
*Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils, and tofu,
often.
*Have at least two servings of fish every week if you can
(fish such as char, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and/or trout.)
*Select lean meats/alternatives prepared with little or no
fat. Trim the visible fat from meats and
skin those poultry meats. Try to roast,
bake, or poach if you can. If you choose
luncheon meats, sausages or prepackaged meats, choose low sodium and lower fat
options.
*In terms of healthier oils and fats, use them in small
amounts (2-3 tbsps) and use ones such as vegetable oils (such as canola, olive,
and soybean). If you’re choosing soft
margarines, use ones that are low in saturated and trans fats. Limit butter, hard margarine, lard and
shortening if you can.
**If you’re wondering how much of a certain vitamin you need,
post me a message here and I’ll let you know – I have a dietary reference
intake for every single vitamin or mineral you would ever need. Just ask.
J
****
Healthy eating always wins.
There are so many fad diets out there.
Ones that tell you that you need to restrict certain things. Ones that tell you that you need to eat at
certain times, and ONLY at certain times.
Ones that tell you that if you pay a certain amount of money, you’ll
lose all your weight with their miracle pills.
All I am trying to convey to you is that if you are making healthy
choices – well informed healthy choices – this whole weight loss thing
won’t be as hard as people make it.
Yes, there are plateaus and bumps along the road, and some
expert advice on fitness and diet will be necessary so that you can be informed
on how to get over those plateaus, but knowing what works is the key – and healthy
eating is always what works. I’ve been
learning so much this last semester in my studies of how to set up an effective
exercise plan that will alleviate all of those aches and pains and actually
benefit the exerciser – and have learned a lot about how incredibly important
food is in the whole process too.
Make healthy choices today.
Plan your meals for the day or jot down what you’re eating and evaluate
if it’s helping you or hurting you.
Your health and weight-loss
success is dependent on your food choices today. Make it good!! J
As always, lots of
love.