After being a vegetarian for 18 years, I thought I understood healthy eating. I thought that if I didn't eat meat I was healthy. I lived on pizza, burritos, and salads. About 2 1/2 years ago I started eating meat again and the weight piled on. I gained almost 30 pounds and was eating everything and anything. I cooked almost completely at home and thought that was good enough. No one else I knew was cooking and I thought that eating fast food or at restaurants was the culprit of poor eating habits.
I had yo-yo dieted for more than 20 years. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, liquid, Atkins and South Beach were the most common ones that I used. Of them Weight Watchers worked the best, but in the end I gained all that weight back and about 10 pounds more. I didn't want to count points anymore. I didn't want to be hungry. I needed help and had no idea where to get my inspiration.
Well, I had an eye opening experience that really changed the way I looked at food. While watching TV one day, I came across a show that actually changed my life. You are What You Eat with Gillian McKeith disgusted me and made me think about what I was actually feeding myself and my family. I didn't realize that most commercial products have very little nutriontional value. I thought that the all natural bread I made from scratch in my bread maker was a health food. The waffles and muffins that I made for my kids were made with all organic ingredients. I figured, they had to be good for them. I just knew that Trader Joe's, my favorite place to shop, only had "good for you food." What was wrong with my casseroles? I was using low-fat soups. I thought I was doing the right thing! The problem was, most of what I made was just junk that offered no nutrional value.
Too good to be true? Yes, you can eat and lose weight!
What if I told you that you really don't need to diet anymore? What if I told you that you that you CAN lose stubborn weight? What if I told you that you that you didn't need to count calories anymore? What if I told you that you that you could eat carbs, fat, and protein? What if I told you that you that you didn't need to buy any silly supplements or medicines? You wouldn't believe me. You'd think I was selling something. Well, I'm not selling anything and there is a healthy alternative to the way most of us are eating that will provide you with health and weightloss (if you need it).
Healthy Substitutions
Instead of:
sandwhich bread....Try Eizekiel Bread!
white flour tortillas...Try corn tortillas!
ground beef.....Try turkey or chicken.
sugar......Try agave!
artifical sweetners.....Try stevia!
chips....Try edamame!
bagged popcorn......Pop your own!
nuts with added salt and fats.....Try raw nuts!
For more information, vist my Great Foods for Healthy Eating page.
sandwhich bread....Try Eizekiel Bread!
white flour tortillas...Try corn tortillas!
ground beef.....Try turkey or chicken.
sugar......Try agave!
artifical sweetners.....Try stevia!
chips....Try edamame!
bagged popcorn......Pop your own!
nuts with added salt and fats.....Try raw nuts!
For more information, vist my Great Foods for Healthy Eating page.
Recipes
- Asian (1)
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- bread (1)
- Breakfast (4)
- Chicken (5)
- desserts (1)
- fish (1)
- grains (4)
- italian (1)
- Main course (8)
- Mexican (3)
- Middle Eastern (1)
- side dish (1)
- sides (1)
- slow cooker (3)
- Smoothies/Juices (2)
- soups (2)
- Turkey (3)
- Vegetarian (7)
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Eat more, weigh less!
I found out that your body needs to eat (the right stuff) to be healthy and lose weight. But what am I suppose to eat? What is healthy? Here's the deal:
As much as possible, stop eating processed food. I know you've heard this before, but I didn't really get it and maybe you don't either. If it has a UPC it is most likely a processed food. Not all of them are bad, but the vast majority shouldn't enter your body. I'll get to more on this later. Refined sugar is one of these. Leave it at the store and watch out for it in all products. Buy food that you can tell what it came from.
Buy whole foods (I'm not talking about the grocery store -- although they have a great supply of them). Really, buy items that are only that item. If you need a tomato, buy a fresh tomato or if you need canned or frozen make sure it ONLY has tomatoes in it. You'd be surprised what you'll find it there!
READ the ingredients label (not just the nutritional info). This is crucial. You have to read the food label and make sure there isn't anything that is unhealthy in there. If you don't know the word, it is likely not good for you. No added sugars (includes anything ending with "ose" like glucose, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, no enriched flours (enriched=processed to the point of having to add vitamins/minerals back into a product), or added fats (oils of most kinds).
Lower your intake of saturated fats as much as possible. This means if it is an animal product (meats, cheeses, milks, butter, etc) then make sure you get the lowest fat possible or eliminate it if necessary.
Increase fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat them in unlimited numbers.
Eat unlimited unrefined, whole grains. I didn't realize this, but most of those companies that put "whole grain" on the box or wrapper are deceiving us. They do have a little bit of whole grains, but if you read the label it is mostly refined white or wheat flour. NOTE: Enriched wheat flour is NOT a whole grain. Look forward to more posts about whole grains.
Stop counting and eat correctly. It is the key to being healthy and losing weight. I will help you with this as I'm still reprograming myself!
As much as possible, stop eating processed food. I know you've heard this before, but I didn't really get it and maybe you don't either. If it has a UPC it is most likely a processed food. Not all of them are bad, but the vast majority shouldn't enter your body. I'll get to more on this later. Refined sugar is one of these. Leave it at the store and watch out for it in all products. Buy food that you can tell what it came from.
Buy whole foods (I'm not talking about the grocery store -- although they have a great supply of them). Really, buy items that are only that item. If you need a tomato, buy a fresh tomato or if you need canned or frozen make sure it ONLY has tomatoes in it. You'd be surprised what you'll find it there!
READ the ingredients label (not just the nutritional info). This is crucial. You have to read the food label and make sure there isn't anything that is unhealthy in there. If you don't know the word, it is likely not good for you. No added sugars (includes anything ending with "ose" like glucose, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, no enriched flours (enriched=processed to the point of having to add vitamins/minerals back into a product), or added fats (oils of most kinds).
Lower your intake of saturated fats as much as possible. This means if it is an animal product (meats, cheeses, milks, butter, etc) then make sure you get the lowest fat possible or eliminate it if necessary.
Increase fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat them in unlimited numbers.
Eat unlimited unrefined, whole grains. I didn't realize this, but most of those companies that put "whole grain" on the box or wrapper are deceiving us. They do have a little bit of whole grains, but if you read the label it is mostly refined white or wheat flour. NOTE: Enriched wheat flour is NOT a whole grain. Look forward to more posts about whole grains.
Stop counting and eat correctly. It is the key to being healthy and losing weight. I will help you with this as I'm still reprograming myself!