A healthy nutritional diet is essential when it comes to weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity and weight gain are just few consequences of the Standard American Diet known as SAD. Obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are a lot more serious consequences of being over weight or obese.
As we age, our metabolism slows down and it becomes harder for our bodies to burn calories and lose weight. Eating superfoods packed with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and mirconutrients is essential when it comes to weight lose and optimum health.
We all can agree that health weight loss and a diet high in nutrition at an adequate level is key to good health. In most cases, people however have a challenge knowing what the adequate limits are and how it applies to them. Add to that the complexity of the fact that nutritional levels and the limit tables that give you an indication of adequate amounts does not and in many cases, may not be perfectly applicable to each individuals’ case. Some people may need slightly more and some people need slightly less, depending on their body’s tolerance levels and any preconditions they may have. General data table indicating a somewhat safe level for nutritional take is more of a guidance that it is a precise case by case basis. So please consult a nutritionist to see that suits your body, based on your current circumstances.
Generally speaking however, we can all agree to a few pointers. In general, avoid canned foods, avoid junk foods, and avoid anything with preservatives and excessive salt. For instance, beans in a can, or frozen beans, should be avoided since they are full of salt, filled with preservatives to increase their shelf life, and sometimes mixed with pork which now gives it more fat, less nutrition, and ready to diminish your health and immune system. Add to your list of things to avoid, you may want to stay away from sugary or caffeine beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks (full of metabolized sugar), pasteurized canned fruits juices, and other sweetened drinks. Instead, try freshly made fruit juices, fresh herbal teas, fresh vegetable juices (can anything beat the flavor and nutritional value of carrot juice?), or simply just water with a dash of flavor by putting a strawberry in your glass of water.
To get more specific on other things that you can avoid, here’s a more detailed list: avoid all soft cheeses (as much as you can), all pasteurized or artificially made or colored cheese or cheese products, or artificial ice cream, (if you have to have ice cream then try small amounts of organic ice cream), fried or pickled eggs, fried fish, avoid all shellfish if you can, all salted fish, anchovies, catfish (horrible stuff), any kind of fish in a can, or fish in oil for prolonged period of time. Avoid all fruits in a can, not only there is no nutritional value, no remaining vitamins, but even worse it is all sugar now and gets absorbed really fast before anything else has a chance to get into your blood stream (sugar rush), and has no real nutritional value. Also avoid white flour, white bleached bread, “white” salt or bleached salt (replaced with sea salt and keep it to a minimum as a dietary supplement, white rice, anything instant (e.g. instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instant cereals, hot or cold, instant grits). Additionally (if you have gotten this far), avoid salted nuts, roasted nuts, peanuts, any kind of saturated fat foods, canned soups, preservatives, MSG, fat stock, hydrogenated oil or margarine, refined processed oils, shortenings, corn syrups, sugar candy, fructose corn based sugars (or fake artificial sugar substitute) james and jellies made with sugar additives, and ALL frozen foods.
Right about now, you must have a question that you are so wanting to know the answer for. Then what can I eat, if I avoid all of above? Well, you can eat everything else. Seriously, you just need to change the way you think about food. I suggest you think of food as your medicine, something that helps your body to stay young, energetic, vibrant, and in charge of boosting your immune system. Eat small quantities of cooked beans (from fresh) but without salt or oils. Drink herbal teas and lots of water. Eat fresh water fish like salmon and white fish and cook them as broiled or baked but not fried. Eat fruits fresh so you can gain the vitamins and minerals without sugar additives. Eat whole grains like buckwheat or rye cereal or brown rice and avoid yeast breads. Eat free-range organic skinless turkey breasts without given antibiotics and injected hormones. Eat some fresh nuts with salt or without being smoked. Avoid peanuts, they are generally not good for humans. Garlic, onions (non-fried), herbs, apple cider vinegar, seaweed, lentils, barley, and raw fruits and vegetables are all good for a healthy diet.
Eat more raw organic foods and avoid processed foods, sugary drinks and foods that have MSG, artificial coloring, additives, and preservatives:
Eating organic foods that are minimally processed and don’t have pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemicals, artificial coloring, preservatives and additives is essential when it comes to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight loss.
One of the best ways to avoid eating highly processed foods is to buy fresh organic fruits and vegetables and stop buying foods that are highly processed and have high amounts of fat, sugar and salt. Include 50% to 75% raw organic fruits and vegetables to your diet and you could simply do this through making creative salads, juicing or making smoothies. Eating a diet rich in fiber and micronutrients can help you stay healthy and at the same time achieve your weight loss goals.
Today’s Tip
It is important to talk about micronutrients, vitamins and minerals which like fresh clean drinking water, are essential to a health living body and organism. Good protein, carbohydrates, and good oils (usually the cold pressed oils) are needed for a healthy body. But so are vitamins and minerals which are regarded as the “essential” nutrients (only second to clean drinking water) and referred to as “micronutrients” because they are relatively small amounts compared to other nutrients like protein, carbs, oils, etc. An average adult needs adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy body and younger people and elderly need even more to achieve this. Supplements or supplemental “pills” have their own issues (especially when it comes to absorption and the liver releasing enough enzymes to digest such pills), and the best form of absorbing these micronutrients are through a healthy diet of organic fruits and vegetables. While health foods and in particular clean water and micronutrients are essential for your health, you should consider that proper diet is as important as exercise and a positive attitude towards life to prevent illness, mental issues, and disease. In summary, you should focus on your lifestyle, live a healthier life (mind, body, and soul), things that avoid getting sick and spending your later years on bed, or on medication, or seeing your loved ones worried about you. A healthy lifestyle allows you to feel good, have more energy, and maintain your healthy attitude towards life and living. Micronutrients and a healthy diet is only a piece of the whole puzzle for you to solve to live a worthwhile and healthy life.