Okay, this is where most people’s diets goes completely south. If you can avoid this stuff, do. If you have to have it, choose a 100% whole grain.
Booze, alcohol, everybody is going to probably have a little bit, but you have heard the basics. We are going to keep it in moderation and hopefully, you are not deterred by studies and think it is going to be healthy for you or going balls out of the lake and going crazy for a bender, but just try to keep this stuff to a minimum. A couple of drinks here and there is not going to hurt you. Obviously, the clear liquors are better than most of the mixtures that are full of sugar. Most of the beers, stuff like that, again, keep them to a minimum. You are not looking to have a 12-pack on a weekend. That is just going to pack on a ton of calories, a ton of sugar, and it really is just going to sabotage a lot of your efforts. If you are into drinking wine, again, that is fine. A glass or so a day is not going to hurt you.
Your protein and meat choices should consist of most fish, poultry, lean meat, stuff like that. When you shop for meat, make sure you choose wisely. Seafood and fish contain a lot of the healthy oils called “Omega-3s” that help all aspects of our health. Fish should be fresh: It should smell fresh and avoid a lot of the farm-raised fish. Look for wild fish that are available.
Read the labels of all packaged red meats. Some may be enhanced or injected with water, flavorings or other preservatives that you do not need. Meat color is not the best indicator for its freshness. Be sure to pay attention to aroma and the feel of it. Meat should smell fresh and it should not be sticky or slimy. Check the freshness date on all the labels and if you want, you could also check the local butcher.
Cheese, use it in small amounts. You can use it on salads and for flavor with dishes, but do not go overboard. Some of these pre-made foods are okay. Just stick with the salads and a lot of the fresh fruits and vegetables and meat. See if they are handy if you want to take them to work or to the beach or whatever.
Fresh fruits and vegetables should make up the largest part of your shopping. Choose fresh fruits that are firm, ripe and unblemished. Look out for mold, especially on berries and other products that are tightly packed together. Only the amount of produce you need for a few days is what you should buy, so it is like three or four days worth so it does not spoil in the refrigerator. A lot of this stuff will go bad if you do not use it.
Energy drinks and soda. This is 1/4 of America’s calories is taken in through sodas. These things are packed full of sugar and caffeine. If there is one piece of advice I could give you, it would be to avoid this stuff at all cost. This goes for soda, energy drinks, bottled and canned juices, sport drinks, different things like that. Do not be fooled, these things are completely sabotaging your efforts.
Frozen foods. Most of this stuff is loaded with fat, preservatives, all kinds of nitrates, different things like that that are not good for you. A lot of people get fooled because of the convenience of these foods. Do not let that deter you. If you are going to buy anything on the frozen food section, maybe get the frozen vegetables and stuff like that if you are on a really tight budget or have a problem with these foods going bad. But, if you can avoid this stuff, do not go for convenience. Buy fresh, go back to the produce department and spend your money there. It is going to be well worth your time.
Dairy cooler. Most dairy is not good for you, high in fat because of what they are doing with a lot of the dairy. It is loaded with pro-hormones and all kinds of craziness. If you can avoid this stuff, please do. If you are going with a little bit of cottage cheese, maybe a little bit of yogurt, that is fine, but keep it in minimums. Butter, soy milk, regular milk, avoid it. It is just unnecessary calories and it is not healthy for you. Eggs are a great source of protein, so be sure you have those anytime.
Cereals. Do not be fooled by the marketing. Most of these are loaded with sugar and are not good options for breakfast. If I could recommend anything, I would recommend regular, old-fashioned oatmeal.
Snacks, crackers, cookies, chips, candies—all of these stuff is one of the leading contributors to obesity, especially childhood obesity. There are lots of the marketing is focused right at those kids. These things are absolutely loaded with sugar, bad fats, sodium, and are packed with calories. These things cause your blood sugar to spike, which causes your body to say, “Hey, if we are not going to use this sugar, it just stores it straight away as fat”. It will kill you energy levels throughout the day, so you are just on a constant roller coaster. And, it is absolutely the leading cause of obesity in this country. These are usually used for quick fixes, snacks, and are right on convenience. So, what I do is I get really loaded up with the fruits and vegetables and use them.
A better idea for snacks is raw, unsalted nuts. They contain no sugar and a ton of healthy fat. So, a better choice at all the snacks before is these nuts. They are much better option.
Do not believe all the hype about artificial sweeteners. Do your health a favor and review the book “Sweet Deception”. It uncovers a lot of the hidden truths. You might not know about these.
Snacks stand. Less 40 feet, do not be fooled. Keep walking, get to the door, show him your receipt and go home.
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