When someone says "diet," most people think of some ridiculous plan of managed starvation which is both unhealthy and unsustainable; meaning that not only are your nutrient requirements for good health left unmet, but any weight you do lose (which may be substantial) is basically due to starvation and will be gained right back when you inevitably resume your previous eating habits.
According to Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary, a diet is: to eat according to a prescribed set of rules.Nothing too crazy, just some general guidelines. Now, wouldn't it be better to have a "diet" that could become more of a lifestyle change where you would improve your health? Of course it would!
Ok so here are some tried and true guidelines that will help you get to, or maintain a healthy weight:
Here are some foods to make sure that you're getting:
1. Veggies: eat as much as you want at any time of day (white potatoes are not included in this, although sweet potatoes can be eaten in moderation as long as they're free of butter and sugar)
2. Fresh Fruit: keep intake to earlier in the day since there are alot of natural sugars in most fruit. Canned fruit is packed in sugar in and should be avoided altogether.
3. Meats & Eggs: grass fed beef and free range poultry and eggs are best. Wild game like deer is great, as well as beef, chicken, fish, turkey, and even pork in reasonable amounts. These should be grilled, baked, or pan seared, not fried.
4. Nuts & Seeds: just about anything in this group is good, like flaxseed, almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts. etc. Products like almond butter, and flour, and coconut oil are excellent choices. Nuts and seeds, although healthy, should be eaten in limited amounts due to their high caloric density.
5. Fats: Get your fats from nuts, olives, and animals for the most part. Your body needs both saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats have incomplete molecular bonds and remain in a liquid state at room temperature. Molecules of saturated fat lock together much more efficiently and takes on a solid texture at room temperature (more like butter). Your body needs both in reasonable amounts. Coconut, walnut, hazelnut, macadamia, and olive oils are great unsaturated fat sources, while products like milk, beef, and pork are good for saturated fat.
Some other things that are fine in moderation and that make living life more fun are:
Coffee, dark chocolate, and tea (unsweet, or with minimal sweetener).
As far as things to avoid:
1. Sugar: this is important to limit. And it's in almost everything so you have to be on the lookout for it! It spikes your insulin and makes it store all kinds of things, which you don't want. Honey is a good sweetener, but the less it's refined, the better. If it's the color of urine it's too refined...the darker the better.
2. Refined Flours: If it's white, avoid it! Everything that we know and love seems to fall into this category. White bread, pasta, etc, as long as just about every snack that comes in a crackly bag.
3. Highly Processed Oils: anything that says "hydrogenated," "partially hydrogenated," "fractionated," or "refined" should be avoided as well. You can look under the "Ingredients" list on the label to find it if you're not sure.
Now remember, these are just ideas (that work!), but if you can start implementing them here and there (or all at once!) you will start to see results in both your appearance and in overall health. Also, remember that "cheat meals" are ok every once in awhile... so take heart that you won't be saying goodbye to that juicy cheeseburger or chocolate covered donut for the rest of your life!
So here's what I encourage you to do...make your own "guidelines" for a set period of time. A week, a month, a year, the rest of your life, whatever. But whatever you decide, stick to it and good luck!
