WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

First of all, artificial foods like aspartame (NutraSweet) and Olestra do not keep us from gaining weight. Many feel these chemicals are actually quite harmful, but that aside, they have done nothing to keep the weight off Americans. Drugs like artificial hormones, steroids, and some antidepressants may also contribute to weight gain. Stress has also been shown to increase circulating cortisol levels, thus contributes to weight gain, aside from the impulse to soothe our internal stress with processed carbohydrates.

We don't exercise nearly enough any more, as we rush through our day. Even our children don't get enough exercise- they ride the bus to school and home again, watch TV or play video games, don't get regular physical education classes in school, and eat a diet high in fat and processed food. Is it any surprise that children now are sometimes diagnosed with gallbladder disease at age 11? Are you aware that the number one vegetable consumed by children is the French fry? We are dooming our children to live as obese adults at the worst, or to at best struggle with weight issues all their lives.

SLOW AND SURE IS THE WAY TO GO

Short-term ways to deal with weight issues don't work in the long run. Diet books, aids like diet shakes, and finding a buddy to work out with can be used as tools to kick-start a program. But, in the long run, you are going to have to do this forever and on your own, so doesn't it make sense to find a plan you can live with for life? Keeping your weight on an even keel takes an investment- of your time, money, and energy. Finding a health coach may be an answer for you.

Develop an exercise program you can live with. It should include aerobic exercise and weight training. Want a challenge? Try CrossFit (http://www.crossfit.com)! It will keep you fit on many levels! Here are some more ideas:

Start simply doing something different. Do most of your grocery shopping in the periphery of the store, not the aisles. The processed foods are in the aisles, while the fresh food is on the outside track. Eat more fish, chicken, lean red meat, and pork. Turkey is lean and can be quite a good buy certain times of the year. Make the meat a small side dish. Americans way overeat protein and unhealthy fat. There are many kinds of whole grains. Try quinoa, cous-cous, wild rice, or brown rice. Avoid white flour like the plague. Try organic sprouted grain breads- they don't taste the same but they have much more nutrition and are less inflammatory than flour products.

Make vegetables the center of your meal. Best is seasonal, fresh, local produce bought often. Frozen is second best, so keep some on hand. I find the kinds with more than one vegetable in the package to be most versatile. Do some stir-frying with minimal oil (1 teaspoon of organic coconut oil, sesame oil, or peanut oil), or steam them with some flavorful herbs. Don't overcook vegetables, as they will lose important nutrients. Organic coconut oil is best for stir frying as it does not break down with heat like other oils. Avoid corn, canola, and "vegetable" oil.

Nutrition Suggestions:

Eat more fish, chicken, and lean cuts of red meat. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and their cholesterol content is not as bad as once thought. I like the eggs higher in omega 3 fatty acids- they feed the chickens better- and I prefer organic.

Fruits should be thought of as a between meal snack. Fruit juice tends to be high in sugar so don't drink large quantities. To improve overall water intake, a small amount of citrus juice (orange, lemon, grapefruit) can be added to water to improve its palatability. I prefer reverse osmosis water.

Which leads me to the next point- drink at least 64 oz of water per day. You'll need more if you are dieting, overweight, when it's hot, or when exercising.

Eat more fiber, such as that found in vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.  When you first start increasing fiber intake, you may notice more gas. Be sure to increase your water intake when taking any fiber supplements. Click on "fiber supplements" to learn what I recommend Supplements such as digestive enzymes can be very helpful to relieve excess gas. Many people need digestive enzymes as they get older to fully digest and absorb nutrients. 

Try eating vegetables for breakfast- they can really taste good if you mix them in with eggs to make an omelet. You can try saving vegetables from the night before and use them in the morning. It gets one of those 5-9 servings a day out of the way.

Avoid processed foods such as white flour, white sugar, and white rice. They are acid producing foods. Maintaining a body Ph on the alkaline side is essential to good health. Also, milk is not really a great food from several standpoints. Milk and red meat create more acid in the body, which must be balanced with minerals, and bones are where minerals are taken if you aren't eating enough mineral-rich foods. The dairy industry loves you to believe milk is good for your bones, but its just not true! Milk is great for baby cows, not people. An alkaline system is less prone to disease than an acidic one.

Be aware that just because it comes from a health food store, doesn't mean it is healthy. Learn to read labels, look for key ingredients, and know what ingredients are- chemicals in food should be avoided as much as possible! However, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils (oils that have been chemically altered to be solid at room temperature) are deadly even in small amounts. Avoid them at all costs- read labels! Avoid soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, canola oil. They are not good for you and contribute to heart disease and general inflammation.