What can I eat? By: Phyllis Frost
The hottest topic in the fitness world these days is nutrition. With all the fad diets around, Atkins, South Beach, Suzanne Sommers, The Zone, etc… It can be very confusing. What is a person supposed to eat and what is taboo?
What these diets do not tell you is that cutting out any food group is not considered proper nutrition. What I stress to my clients is a well balanced diet, with portion control. When you go into a restaurant the portions they serve are enough for at least 2 people. For example, a portion of pasta is 1 cup not a full dinner plate! We have become accustomed to these huge portions. So, when we dine out and are served normal size portions, we complain that they are scrimping on the food.
Research has shown that fad diets do not work in the long term. What does work is eating a balanced diet comprised of protein, complex carbohydrates, (cereals, grains, fruits and veggies) and moderate fat intake. If you were to divide your dinner plate in half and put a salad on one half and then divide the other side again by half and fill it with protein and carbs you would have adequate portions.
Everyday there is another buzz everyone wants a quick fix. "Change you body in ten weeks!" or "Magical ways to lose weight!" Certainly you can drop a fair amount of weight in 10 weeks, the problem is that once the goal is met, the majority of people gain it back, and then some.
Achieving a healthy eating and exercise regime takes desire, discipline and common sense. There are no secrets. So it's time to get back to basics, keep your diet balanced, eliminate junk food, a treat once in a while is fine, exercise 3-4 times a week and you will have healthy, successful results!
Below is a list of suggested foods:
·Nuts: almonds, sunflower seeds.
·Fruits: apples, bananas, blueberries, apricots, peaches, pears, raspberries, cantaloupe, kiwis, strawberries, grapes, oranges, and pineapple.
·Dried fruit: apricots, raisins, figs, dates, and apples.
·Vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts, celery, carrots, cauliflower, green or yellow beans, red or green peppers, peas, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini.
·Bread: Rye, Black Russian, soy, and pumpernickel.
·Oatmeal.
·Rice: wild, brown.
·Cheese, low fat.
·Chili.
·Fish: cod, halibut, salmon, haddock, shrimp, pollock, tuna, crab, lobster, and scallops.
·Eggs.
·Lean cuts of beef, pork, veal, turkey, and chicken.
Food is to be enjoyed, experiment with different herbs and spices to add flavour, and watch out for sauces, they can have hidden fat, sugar or salt.
In the next issue I will tell you how to calculate your daily caloric intake for you current weight and how to adjust it for healthy weight loss.
Bon Appetit!
|
