Top Ten Tips for Healthy Eating...whats yours???

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DrSarahSmith
DrSarahSmith Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
In my journey to learn as much about health and fitness and nutrition, I came across a man named John Berardi. He is a nutrition and exercise expert and has done MUCH research in the field of dieting and weight loss and muscle gain. If you want to know the ins and outs of how your body responds to exercise, different diets, and the actual physiology of fat loss I highly recommend checking out his website. From hormones to supplements this guy has got the low down!!

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/

One thing that I have taken with me from reading his material is that regardless of the "insert random name here " diet, there are some basic rules to eating that all successful weight loss plans have in common and few extras that he has added to ensure compliance and success. I have added a few of my own extra comments in.

1. Eat every 2-3 hours no matter what. This is prevent huge drops in blood sugar and staves off binge eating behavior.

2. Every time you eat, consume some lean protein. This helps to keep your blood sugar steady as a snack or meal of purely carbohydrates will cause a surge in insulin, promoting big dips in blood sugar.

3. Every time you eat, eat a vegetable and/or fruit to get your vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants so that your body can function optimally. Get most of your carbohydrates from these sources.

4. Save your simple/complex carbohydrates until AFTER your workout, when your body is much less likely to store them as fat and more likely to use it to feed your starving muscles.

5. Ensure 25-30% of your diet comes from a good fat source (fish, oilve oil, polyunsaturated oils) Good fats help to control cravings, ensure your body has the right nutrients to repair itself. In addition, it helps your body maintian a healthy cholesterol profile.

6. Drink only calorie free drinks such as water and tea.

7. Eat mostly whole foods, try to stay away from processed packaged foods.

8**My favorite! Is have your 10% foods. These are the foods that you treat yourself with so you don't feel deprived. JB says that the difference between following a diet 100% and 90% in pretty negligible, so make room for foods you love. What that means is, is that if you eat 6 meals a day, 7 days a week, thats 42 meals. If for 4 of those meals you plan on a treat (and that obviously doesn't mean a 5000 calorie binge), you will still be successful if you follow the above rules 90% of the time.

I want to add my own tip, which I think is really important...

9. Examine your relationship with food and exercise and your body. If you don't have good reasons to change, and you don't understand your emotional patterns then any attempts at weight loss will not be successful in the long run.

Please post the tips that have helped you the most.
Thank you :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Thanks for posting, this is great! You covered all the bases, my only tip is that while keeping it as clean as possible, definitely don't go so extreme that you're not eating anything that you love anymore. Moderation is key! I love the 10% foods idea!
  • anner53108
    anner53108 Posts: 103
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    I love these tips, too (although there are only nine there, but I won't hold that against you, lol). :laugh:

    I'd just add to drink AT LEAST 8 cups of water a day. This is a huge thing for me. I'm not a big water fan, but I find that when I keep myself hydrated, I feel better, eat better/less and lose more weight -- win-win-win! :smile:
  • lizzil0
    lizzil0 Posts: 181 Member
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    These are fantastic tips- most of them really resonate with me.
    The one about eating every 2-3 hours not so much, I think you should eat when you're hungry, but not yet ravenous, whenever that is.
    Eating most carbs from fruit and vegetables, eating protein with carbs, don't drink your calories... very smart, these truths have taken me a while to learn, but they are invaluable!
    Thank you.
  • DrSarahSmith
    DrSarahSmith Posts: 4
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    LOL, yes there are only nine! haha, oops

    Okay here is my tenth...sweat every day!! I recently read a study about people who SUCCESSFULLY maintain weight loss over time exercise an hour everyday.
  • ellenangel
    ellenangel Posts: 106 Member
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    these are awesome tips! I definitely agree with including fruit/veg- rounded meals that include carbs, protein, fat and fruit/feg definitely leave me MUCH more satisfied than something that is too heavy in one food group (ie, a granola bar does nothing to my hunger- 1/2 granola bar, 1/2 banana and some cottage cheese keeps me full for hours). Maybe partly psychological, but hey...it works :smile:

    Other thing I would add is to PLAN AHEAD. I think so many decisions would be made differently if ravenous hunger isn't the guide- ie, if you are starving and need food ASAP/are tired/busy, you are likely to grab what is convenient. If you have snacks in your car and dinner ingredients bought/prepped (or meals made in bulk/frozen, or at least know what you will be making), it's easier to drive home and cook and resist the temptation of just stopping for take-out knowing that you don't have to get home THEN figure out what is in the fridge THEN make a meal. Make it as easy as possible for yourself!
    LOL, yes there are only nine! haha, oops

    Okay here is my tenth...sweat every day!! I recently read a study about people who SUCCESSFULLY maintain weight loss over time exercise an hour everyday.

    This is so true. I think what's also really important is finding a kind of workout you enjoy. It doesn't have to be conventional- I think people are turned off when they think of exercise because they imagine hours on a treadmill or an aerobics class and it doesn't have to be. Do something fun and try new things until you find it and think outside the box- horse riding, kayaking, pole dancing...whatever you have fun doing is going to motivate you to do more of it. Then it doesn't feel like a "workout"- it becomes playtime :laugh:

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