Here's what I share with my health coaching clients about 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, diet aids like diet shakes and pills, 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.

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

Look at your top values. If "family" is on your top 5, then I suggest you make this a family affair. Change everyone's diet. Go through the cupboard and toss out anything containing hydrogenated oil or trans-fat. It's a killer- don't even feed it to the dog. Buy fresh food every week and make out a menu plan. Split up the cooking amongst the entire family. If the kids are old enough, include them in meal planning and preparation. Even the younger ones can wash the vegetables and put them in a pot. This is part of teaching them to be self-sufficient. Experiment with different foods, and if you don't know how to cook yourself, get a book or a video.

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, but it has tryptophan, and can make you and your metabolism sleepy. Make the meat a small side dish. Americans way overeat protein and unhealthy fat. There are many kinds of whole grains to use as the focus of your meal. Try quinoa, couscous, wild rice, or brown rice. Avoid white flour like the plague. Try sprouted grain breads- they don't taste the same and they don't work the same way as flour breads, but they can make a tasty sandwich.

FOOD COMBINATIONS

Combining foods in certain ways can also promote healthy digestion and reduce stored body fat. It's good to eat vegetables with your protein (meat, fish, cheese, yogurt), but not fruit or starches. Fruits should be eaten alone- like between meals. The reasoning behind combining foods this way is that meats and dairy foods require an acid environment in the stomach, while starches require alkalinity. Vegetables don't care, so they can be eaten with starches or proteins. This does eliminate meat and cheese sandwiches, and the baked potato with the main course. But, these simple changes can mean weight loss and maintenance with minimal effort.
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 most versatile. Do some stir-frying with minimal olive oil (1 tablespoon), or steam them with some flavorful herbs. Don't overcook vegetables, as they will lose important nutrients.

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.
• 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.
• 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. Fiber supplements can help, but be sure what you take is a kind that will help you. When you first start increasing fiber intake, you may notice more gas. Be sure to increase your water intake when taking any fiber supplements. Supplements such as "Beano" can be very helpful, although this is a normal process, and will decrease as your gut becomes healthier.
• Try eating vegetables for breakfast- they can really taste good if you mix them in with eggs, or try saving vegetables from the night before and reheat them in the morning. It gets one of those 5 servings a day out of the way.
• Avoid processed foods such as white flour, white sugar, and white rice. In fact, if you want to be really healthy, shop in the grocery store only on the periphery- the center isles are where they put most of the processed stuff.
• Milk is not really a great food from several standpoints. If you like milk and don't want to give it up, drink low fat or nonfat forms, and avoid the intake of BGH (Bovine growth hormone) by buying milk that has "BGH free" on the label. Also, think of milk as a food, not as a beverage.
• Be aware that just because it comes from a health food store doesn't mean it is absolutely healthy. Learn to read labels, look for key ingredients, and know what the ratio between fat-protein-carbohydrate should be for you. (As a rule, fat intake should be no more than 20%. Protein should be about 20%, leaving the remaining 60% for unprocessed carbohydrates). Avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates and sugars in all forms.
• Fat is not bad- it is essential for us to consume healthy fats daily. However, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils (oils that have been chemically altered to be solid at room temperature) are deadly even in moderate amounts. Avoid them at all costs- read labels! Use olive oil daily.

For more nutrition information and products see http://www.teamstarlight.com/holtholistichealing or http://www.lef.org