The Diet Talk



Let's face it, in order to lose weight and keep it off, is to eat right and exercise.  If anyone tells you they have a miracle pill run fast.  Here's the thing...alot of us think we know how to eat right but in reality we are eating the wrong foods.  It may seem complicated but its actually very simple when you know the right foods and to break it out into 6 meals a day so you keep feuling your body and transform it into a fat burning machine.  It's not a diet it's a life change.  We have spent so many years creating bad habbits that are not our fault.  I want to talk about these power foods and how they help us.  I will be adding to this blog on a continuely basis with more information to help you learn why these are power foods.  This is not a diet its a way of life.
 Some of the most common power foods are:
Blueberries, Almonds, Spinach, Walnuts, Avacados, Tomatoes, Oranges, Strawberries, Pumpkin Seeds, Tea, Oatmeal, Broccoli, Yogurt, Cantelope, Beans.  

What you want to do is eat something from these power foods every day.

Example of my day:
In my fridge I have air tight containers with dry roasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds and pistacios for snacking on daily I just grab a handfull when I feel I need a boost.

Then I make sure I drink Tea in the morning and this could be a green tea or a black tea (actually i drink at least 3-5 cups a day I love my tea).  When having dinner if if I am out I always choose fresh brewed tea with lemon.

I always check food lables for sodium content this is very important you don't want high sodium products in your diet.

I try to have at least 1 yogurt with berries every day.  I also try to eat one apple a day (keeps the doctor away) this is true : )

I have oatmeal with a banana and you can add brown sugar this is ok : )

I always make sure I have at least a green veggie 3 times a day so for lunch a salad, I keep cut up cucumbers in a baggie and broccoli florets for easy picking in the fridge. 

My choice of protiens are chicken, tuna, eggs, cheese.  I have to say I purchased the NuWave and I love the way it cooks so quickly and leaves all the flavor and juices in the meats. 

Here is my power foods salad -
1 cup of spinach in bite size pieces
1 cup of romaine
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 boiled egg chopped
1/2 tomatoe chopped
1/4 cup of chick peas, if canned rinse well
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 avacado, cubed
2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and or sometimes i just squeeze fresh lemon juice and alittle dijon mustard.

Of course you can be creative and use any of the power foods to creat your own power food salad.

The recipe above is for one serving you can multiply it by three and now you have 3 servings for the day which will keep you feeling energized.

When you shop for Yogurt look for:
Non fat or lowfat varieties
no artificial colors
very fresh (check experation date)
whey protein listed on the lable (increase the viability of the priobiotic bacteria - e.g. stoneyfield farm yogurt)
rich in live cultures ( check for specific culture the more the better.

Of course all your fruits and veggies should be fresh not canned or frozen since this leads to high sodium and also takes away the vitamins needed.

We all know that many of the foods available to us are not really health-promoting.  Many fast foods, processedfoods, and widely available packaged foods have too much trans fat , sodium, sugar and other nutrition negatives.  It can be discouraging to shop.  But there is some good news, there are many foods in local markets that are good for you and also delicious. 

Tips:
Always try the lowest sodium per serving that your taste buds can tolerate, it is better to add alitlle salt then to start out with a high slat content.

Always check the lable for partially Hydrogenated oils, if they are listed don't buy it.  There is no safe amount of so called trans fat.

Go to the market with the mindset of a hunter- gatherer.  First stop is the fresh fruit and veggies section. Then onto to various whole grain products nuts and seeds, low fat non fat dairy, and so forth.

On some food lables both sodium and potassium are listed, a potassium to sodium ratio of 4-1 or more is ideal.

Stay away from white bread, and anything processed. In my future posts I will be adding some more great power food recipe's. 

Believe me just adding a few of these power foods to your life daily will make a huge difference whether or not your popping a handful of pills later in life. 

My next post I will talk about the benifits of nuts.... how nuts help the brain, thats right stay tuned.

I have also posted some links on the right to some great sites I have tried and liked.  Remember there is no quick weight loss without the proper life change in your daily eating habbits and exercise.  You make the choice everyday what goes into your mouth so now make it the right choice by choosing a power food.

Click here if you are looking for the diet solution this is a great start