He Said She Said

1. Eat more meals with less food. Six is the ideal number of times to eat in a day.
2. Get a water bottle and use it. Shoot for 100 ounces total by filling the water bottle with 20 oz 5 times per day. Drink water over other unhealthy and calorie filled drinks such as soda, special coffee drinks, and alcohol.
3. Make a smoothie or use a juicer everyday. Make it a habit either in the morning or another time through the day. My favorite smoothie recipe is 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, ½ cup mixed frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries). This 245 calorie smoothie leaves you feeling surprisingly satiated. My favorite juicer recipe is 2 apples and 2 carrots topped with the juice from ½ a lemon. If you’re interested in more vegetable goodness add celery.
4. Avoid carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure of how fast glucose (simple sugar) is released into the bloodstream after consumption. When glucose is quickly released into the bloodstream it can overwhelm the bodies insulin system. Examples of foods with high glycemic index include white bread and food that’s found in a box. Along the same lines of thinking I do believe it helps to eat slow whenever possible.
5. Leave the house with everything that you’re going to eat for the day or have a specific plan for food. Everybody makes bad eating choices when they’re hungry. The key is not allowing yourself to get to that point.
6. No trans fat. Trans-fat is synthetically created and bad for the body. A health study found that replacing only 30 calories of carbohydrates with 30 calories of trans fats doubled the risk of coronary artery disease. Common food with trans fat includes fast food fries, microwave popcorn, donuts, and stick margarine.
7. Add fiber in your diet. Make it a goal to get 5-10 grams per day from source such as oatmeal, fruits, and legumes. If necessary don’t be afraid to use a Metamucil like product.
8. Go nuts. Nuts are perfect for a mid day snack and have been proven to lower cholesterol. The healthiest nuts are walnuts, pecans, and almonds. Please beware that ½ cup of nuts often has greater than 400 calories so don’t go overboard (½ cup should be the limit).
9. Fish oils are necessary. The best source is from cold water fish such as salmon, lake trout, albacore, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines. Supplementing fish oils is a good idea if you don’t eat fish regularly or if you have high triglycerides – just make sure that you get the recommended 2-4 grams per day.
10. Listen to the M.E.D.I.C.S.
M – Meats should be lean i.e. chicken breast and fish.
E – Egg yolks should be limited to 2-3 per week.
D – Dairy products should be skim or 1% milk and low fat cheese.
I – Invisible fats such as trans fats (that is often found in fast food) needs to be avoided at all cost.
C – Condiments should be chosen carefully. Spray butter is better than real butter or stick margarine. Also, dressings can be loaded with calories so be mindful of what is on salads.
S – Sauces – choose marinara (red) over alfredo.