Through the latter half of last year I started on really listening to my body and actually starting to give it what it wanted and needed. I finally listened to body and realized that a lot of dairy didn't really mix well with me all the time. Additionally I also stopped taking in so much wheat. Even though I was eating 100% whole wheat bread and pasta it still made me puff up and feel bloated. I realized that if I cut out the wheat in my life I would feel so much lighter and happier. So even though I do not have any diseases that cause me to be gluten free, I have found out that any of my carbs that are 'gluten free' clearly happen to not have wheat. So therefore...I am looking for the gluten free versions of everything now.
Cut out or limit your dairy intake
As I said before for some people dairy just does not sit well on your stomach. Thankfully there are a lot of actually tasty alternatives to cows milk dairy. A important thing to note is that Almond milk actually has more calcium than cows milk.
Increase your fruit and vegetable intake
This is a no-brainer, but you have to do it! According to www.choosemyplate.gov fruit and vegetable servings depend on your age. Please refer to these links to figure out how much you should intake.
FRUITS: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/printpages/MyPlateFoodGroups/Fruits/food-groups.fruits-amount.pdf and
VEGETABLES:http://www.choosemyplate.gov/printpages/MyPlateFoodGroups/Vegetables/food-groups.vegetables-amount.pdf.
I have a good idea...take a can of soup and add a handful of spinach and cook it down while you heat the soup up. It will help fill you up and adds more vegetables in your day.
Drinking more water helps wash out the toxins in your body and actually helps you not hold on to so much water weight. You should be drinking 8 glasses of water or more a day. Here are some tips to increase your water intake:
- Drink a glass of water when you get up in the morning, before you have coffee or tea.
- Keep a cup or water bottle by your desk at work. Take several sips of water each hour. If you don’t have a desk job, carry a container of water with you, and take sips throughout the day.
- Take a sip whenever you pass a drinking fountain.
- If you get tired of drinking plain water, add a packet of sugarless flavoring to your water. Or put a slice of lemon or lime in plain or sparkling water.
If you saw my previous post I have started making my own homemade gluten free bread to try to keep my life as 'normal' as possible through my food with still limiting my wheat and gluten intake. Thankfully now companies are jumping on the gluten free band wagon. If you go to grocery stores healthy area you will see many gluten free products such as bagels, bread, snacks, and pasta. Doing this will make you feel lighter and carry around less water weight. Unfortunately the gluten free bread and bagels at the grocery stores are still pricey, but the pastas are just about the same price as the gluten type pastas.
Cut out or limit your sugar intake
Sugar = BAAAAD. Sugar is addictive. And on top of that it turns into fat if it is not burned. Most Americans take in way more sugar than they could ever burn so if you limit it from the beginning that means less to burn later. Easy way to decrease your sugar while not really changing the taste of your foods is to include Truvia into your diet. It is a zero calorie natural sweetener. Please try to stay away from artificial sugars, there is not enough research out there to know what it actually doing to our bodies.
Please watch this video on our sugar addiction:
Increase the amount of fish you eat
One of the healthiest ways of eating is the Mediterranean diet. This diet limits the red meats and increases the healthy oils and the amount of fish in your diet. The benefits of fish are the Omega-3 and 6's and the lower amounts of calories that fish provides versus red meats. When looking for fish at the grocery store please look for fish that are domestic and are free of mercury and other toxins that fish intake.
Cut out processed foods
One of the best tips I have ever received is to stay on the perimeter of the grocery store. The perimeter has your breads, milks, fruits, vegetables, and meats. Try to challenge yourself to stay in the perimeter and make a grocery list just from these foods.
Grocery shopping rules to live by:
- Shop the perimeter
- Choose "real" and whole foods such as 100% whole wheat, fruits, and vegetables
- Steer clear of foods with cartoons on the label.
- Avoid foods with more than 5 ingredients, artificial ingredients you can not pronounce.
Substitutions are great when you are wanting to cut calories and eat healtier, but still have the same taste as your traditional dishes. Some substitutions that I personally have made are:
- Mayonaise ----> Vegenaise.
- Vegan mayonaise. No cholesterol. No additives or preservatives. Non-GMO.
- Comparison chart: Mayo vs Vegenaise
- Butter ----------> Smart Balance butter OR grass fed cows butter
- White pasta/bread ---> 100% whole wheat OR Gluten free
Other substitutions:
The changes that I have taken to make myself healthier this past year through vitamins and supplements is Juice Plus. These are fruits and vegetables that are picked at the peak of freshness and then dehydrated and turned into a capsule form. This is great as an insurance for myself when I do not get in the fruits and vegetables that I need every day. For more information about Juice Plus please go here: http://kristenturk.juiceplus.com.
On top of Juice Plus I just recently started taking Reichi mushroom capsules. Reishi mushroom is used for boosting the immune system; viral infection such as the flu (influenza, swine flu, and avian flu; lung conditions including asthma and bronchitis; heart disease and contributing conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol; kidney disease; cancer; and liver disease. It is also used forHIV/AIDS, altitude sickness, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), trouble sleeping(insomnia), stomach ulcers, poisoning, and herpes pain. Other uses include reducing stress and preventing fatigue. For more information about Reishi mushroom please go to: WEBMD.
Another great vitamin that I plan on adding to my diet is Vitamin D. Currently there is a vitamin D deficiency pandemic going on in America due to the lack of sun exposure and foods that contain vitamin D. Information on Vitamin D.
Use healthy oils
There are so many healthy oils out there that actually make your food taste better!
The benefits of using healthy oils are for people that have high cholesterol and/or are trying to cut the fat in your diet, oil substitutes can be your best friend. High cholesterol is a contributing factor in having a higher risk of heart disease. Oil substitutes also cut the amount of fat in your recipes. Lowering your fat consumption is an easy way to cut calories and lose weight.
By using oil substitutes in your favorite recipes you can cut your fat intake and lower your cholesterol without damaging the flavor of your food. Lower cholesterol can also lower your risk of heart disease. Since using oil substitutes properly can improve your health without hurting the flavor of your food you have nothing but the stuff that is bad for you to lose.
Some great oils to use:
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is full of flavour and has nutrients like vitamin E, K and iron that are retained at high temperatures.
- Flax seed oil: Flax seed oil is full of essential omega-3 fatty acids. You can use it unheated in shakes, salad dressing, cereals or on toast.
- Ghee: Ghee is a butter that is free of impurities and cholesterol. However, use sparingly if you are trying to lose weight. It is also very calming to the nervous system.
- Grapeseed oil: This oil maintains its healthy properties known to fight cancers and lower cholesterol at high temperatures.
- Hemp Oil: Just like flax seed oil, hemp oil is full of the essential omega-3 fatty acids and should be used unheated.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is usually readily available, affordable and cooks well at high heat without losing its nutritional value. It is also known to lower your risks of heart disease -- and tastes great on salads or as a sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is a bit more expensive, but you only need to use a little for a lot of flavour. It also has a lowering effect on blood pressure.
I hope these recommendations can help you feel and be a healthier and happier you!
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