Suggestions to help on your weightloss journey

Empty Calories

1. Meals that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol contain empty calories that have no place in a weight loss plan. Any meal that is created with these substrates should be avoided. Preparing meals without butter, cream, heavy amounts of cheese and high calorie sauces is one step in the right direction. Foods cooked in olive oil are healthier because olive oil does not break down and become hydrogenated.

Fiber

2. Fiber has many health benefits. It promotes regularity, it stabilizes blood sugar levels, and it reduces the risk factors for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Fiber creates a full feeling in the stomach, helping you to feel satisfied for longer periods of time. This also leads to fewer overall calories being consumed. Foods that are high in fiber include whole wheat pasta, peas, lentils, oat bran, broccoli, barley and raspberries. All fruits and vegetables have at least some fiber and are good choices to make when trying to lose weight.

Protein

3. Protein is one of the three macronutrients and it has a high thermic effect when it is eaten. This means that the body has to burn a higher amount of calories to break it down than it does for fat and carbs. A good meal would have the inclusion of protein in it, but not just any protein. Some proteins are high in saturated fat like red meat and whole fat dairy products. Some better choices are lean meats, chicken breast, fish, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy products.

GI

4. Eating high amounts of refined carbohydrates, especially by themselves, can cause sharp increases in blood sugar levels. This in turn will cause the pancreas to release insulin to stabilize these elevated levels. Insulin is a fat storage hormone that can lead to weight gain. These types of bad carbohydrates, also called "simple carbs," are high in the glycemic index (GI). The GI is a chart that shows you how fast a carbohydrate will raise your blood sugar levels. It goes from 0 to 100 and the higher it is, the faster it will spike blood sugar. The best choices of carbs are the ones that are low on the GI, which are also called "complex carbs." Some examples of these are multigrain bread, all-bran, rice, yogurt, grapefruit, pears, carrots, and apples.

Balance

5. To increase metabolism, meals should be small, balanced and eaten every two to three hours. By eating small meals spaced properly, your body gets enough food for fuel and there are no excess calories to be stored as fat. The reason metabolism rises is because every time you eat a meal, the body burns calories to digest the food. Some good, healthy, balanced meals include protein, fiber, and complex carbs. Some examples are oatmeal with low-fat milk and a tablespoon of peanut butter, a baked chicken breast with steamed broccoli and brown rice, celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, broiled haddock with a yam and carrots, a salad topped with salmon and loaded with fresh vegetables, a turkey sandwich made with multigrain bread and split pea soup with a piece of corn bread.