Fuel Your Body

I don't have all the answers when it comes to nutrition. The science of nutrition is always changing - fads pop up encouraging people to consume a variety of different things to ward off cancers and heart disease, and avoid foods that cause cancer and obesity. "Super Foods" are all over headlines, and it can all get a little confusing. Talented marketing people that create packaging for foods throw misleading labels on things to make them appear healthier. We as consumers need to know how to read labels, and choose the foods that will fuel our bodies and make us feel great, not weigh us down and make us tired, irritable and unhealthy.

Nutrition as it relates to my diet is something I've struggled with since childhood. I've pretty much tried everything there is for "dieting" tricks, only to learn that the experts are right - diets don't work! Can you drastically reduce your calorie intake and see some weight loss? Of course. But I think we know how this fairytale ends...the minute you start to eat "normally" again, the weight comes back on. The trick is to create your NEW normal.

One of the best places to start is liquid calories and the lack of nutritional value found in most. For example, if you drink orange juice for breakfast, you're getting more sugar and calories, and less fiber than if you just ate an orange. Same goes for most fruit juices. Don't even get me started on soda! This is a blog post all on its own. Stick to water; add a lemon wedge for a little flavor if you want. Do not use flavor packets (Crystal Light, etc.), as these have sugar - and sometimes worse - FAKE sugar. Again, an entire blog on its own. If you tolerate lactose, skim milk is a good beverage because it provides vitamins, minerals and protein; it is not a lot of empty calories like the other options. Alcoholic drinks are a source of more empty calories; limit your intake.

Speaking of empty calories, you want to limit or eliminate the foods you eat that are high in calories, but do not give you any nutrients. These pack on pounds and have no benefit to your body. Packaged foods:  chips, crackers, white bread, sugary cereals, store-bought cookies and cakes, etc. Try baking your own sweet treats using apple sauce to substitute oils for moisture, or even baking your own tortilla chips (will post a simple recipe for doing this). With the right recipe, you can make healthier versions of all of these things at home without a lot of time.

Take time at the grocery store to read labels. Look for sugar, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, as well as looking to see how many ingredients something has and whether or not you can pronounce everything on the label. Quaker Oatmeal To Go bars have over 50 ingredients - the second of which is high fructose corn syrup, followed closely by hydrogenated oil. But, because it is made by Quaker and says "oatmeal", we as consumers interpret this as healthy. Wrong! Over 50 ingredients?! Do yourself a favor - make your own granola bars, or just have a bowl of oatmeal (put it in a small container, grab a spoon - presto! Oatmeal To Go).

I love the USDA's new Food Plate:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. Engineering minds out there:  please create an actual plate that looks just like this! This is the breakdown you want to try to follow for most meals - a large helping of filling, high-fiber, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, a smaller portion of grains (brown rice, for example - don't touch that white rice!) and protein (such as fish or chicken), accompanied by a small serving of low-fat dairy.

This information is only a sliver of insight into all of the information out there. There is an endless list of books that go into more depth on nutrition; one I highly recommend is "Master Your Metabolism" by Biggest Loser trainer, Jillian Michaels. She discusses clean eating and the effect of poor nutrition on your health, as well as the effects on your hormones as it pertains to weight loss, overall mood, and energy levels.

Educate yourself on what you're putting into your body - it's worth the time.