Dr. Ians Diet Tips

Dr. Ian's Diet Tips
Below are some suggestions and tips for making modifications to your current diet. Many of us may not know it, but the following eating habits can easily sabotage your weight loss efforts:

Using too much salt
Salt adds taste to food and is not a bad thing when used in moderation, but most people eat much more salt than they need. Try to limit your salt intake to less than 1 teaspoon per day, and reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Fried foods
Fried foods seem to taste so much better, but they are loaded with all kinds of bad fats and calories. Limit your fried meals to a maximum of 3 times per week, and eventually try to reduce that to 2 times. Instead, bake, roast, grill, steam, or sauté your food.

Overcooking vegetables
Vegetables are full of critical vitamins and minerals, but when they are cooked too long, all of these powerful nutrients are destroyed and leach out into the cooking water. Try to cook your vegetables for less than 15 minutes or eat them raw, steamed, grilled, or sautéed.

Butter/Lard/Bacon/Fatback
The reason why we like to add these things to our pots of lima beans or collards is because the fat adds so much taste. But fat also adds so many extra calories and reduces the healthiness of foods. Try to use these fats very sparingly. It might take some time, but you can grow to enjoy the more natural taste of the food.

Fatty meats
Instead of buying the fattier cuts of meat, try the leaner cuts. Your arteries and heart will thank you!
Sugary drinks
Almost a unanimous weakness. Sweet iced teas, fruit punches, Kool-Aid, quarter waters, soda—we drink liquid sugar by the gallon. Having some might not be such a bad thing, but most of us tend to go way over the limit. If you must have your sweet drink, try to limit your consumption to no more than 1 cup a day. Try water, unsweetened iced tea, or freshly squeezed juice in modest portions. These are so much better for your health.

Too much skin
Have you ever asked yourself why chicken and turkey taste so much better with the skin? The answer is one word: FAT. Along with the taste, skin adds so many calories to your meal. Remove it and enjoy the meat. If you want some more flavor, just add some spices. You can also enhance the taste of your meats by using things such as citrus marinades, dry spice rubs, and sweet peppers.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #1
If you’re ever feeling hungry between meals and you’ve already had a snack, brush your teeth with toothpaste that has a strong peppermint flavor. You can even floss your teeth for good measure. This will dampen your urge to eat.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #2
Soups can be your friend. Eating soups that contain chicken, beans, and/or vegetables can provide a tasty meal, and load you up on vitamins and other healthy nutrients. Avoid adding things like bacon bits, cheese, crackers, and cream cheese, as they will pile on unnecessary calories. Soups can be great low-calorie meals.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #3
The milk switch. Get rid of the calorie-laden whole milk, and instead switch to 1%. Let’s say you drink 1 cup of milk (8 oz) each day. If you don't change anything else you normally do, you could lose approximately 5 pounds in one year just by switching to 1% milk.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #4
Variety is the spice of your exercise life. Don’t limit your exercises. Instead, try to mix up your workout so that you don’t get bored with the same routine. Also, when your body grows accustomed to a routine, it’s more likely to hold on to the fat and make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #5
Liquid calories no more. Calories hidden in alcoholic beverages can be sneaky and fattening at the same time. Take a look at the numbers: for 1 gram of fat, there are 9 calories. For 1 gram of carbohydrate, there are 4 calories. For 1 gram of alcohol, there are 7 calories. Did you ever think that a glass of alcohol could be almost as fattening as french fries?