2. Balance each meal with protein, carbs and fat. By providing
reasonable amounts of these three essential nutrients at each meal,
your body will have the fuel it needs to run at an optimum level.
Balancing the nutritional make-up of your meals also helps prevent
the storage of body fat.
- Preferred sources of protein: fish, lean meat, chicken, eggs,
turkey, lean pork, protein powders.
- Preferred sources of carbohydrates: fruit, vegetables, beans,
whole grains.
- Preferred sources of fats: olive oil, nuts, fish oils, canola
oil, flax seed.
3. Choose the right carbohydrates. When constructing your
meals, select complex carbohydrates that are "colorful" and
high in fiber (like fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts). Try to
avoid highly processed carbohydrates like pasta, bagels, crackers,
chips, soda and candy. Highly processed carbs have little nutritional
value and can easily be stored as body fat. If it's a carbohydrate
and it comes in a bag or a box, you should be suspect.
4. Don't forget completely about the fat. Despite the hype
in the 80's and 90's, fat IS an important part of everyone's diet
and is necessary for fat loss. It may sound strange but it is the
reality. One benefit is that fat is slow to digest so it makes
you feel full and thus you eat less. Fat also helps in proper digestion
of carbs and protein; without it your body cannot process food
efficiently. The key is to select foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These include flax seeds, salmon, mackerel,
almonds, walnuts, olive and canola oils.
5. Eat until you are no longer hungry, not until you are stuffed
full. A common mistake people make in their everyday eating
habits is that they just eat too much. They eat until they are
literally bursting at the waistline. You don't need to be stuffed
at every meal, or eat every bite . . . despite what your mom
told you, it is ok to leave food on your plate. Even better,
don't put so much on your plate in the first place. Keep your
portion sizes under control If you find yourself eating for no
reason, or you just can't stop, you are probably eating to fill
a void in your life, as many people do. Taking some time to evaluate
the areas of your life that are making you unhappy may help.
Food is not the answer, and overeating always results in feeling
worse.
6. Diet in moderation. Don't cut your calories too low. Drastic
calorie cutting attempts usually result in failure. If you are
looking for lasting results and not just a quick fix, then your
best bet is to aim for about 2/3 of your "normal" caloric,
or food, intake. Putting your body into starvation mode will ultimately
derail your weight loss attempts. Your body will fight back by
trying to hold onto your fat even more tightly! Slow and steady
wins the weight loss war.
7. Treat yourself to one splurge day per week. If and only
if you are eating clean 6 days a week, you deserve a splurge day.
Pick one day per week and save up all your cravings for that special
day. Make a chocolate dessert, or have some extra pasta with dinner.
Whatever it is, after 6 days of keeping your diet in order and
keeping focused on your ultimate goal, you not only deserve a day
of eating some of your favorite foods, but your body can also completely
handle it. Remember, you cannot gain a significant amount of body
fat in just one day. It takes months, in most cases, years of poor
eating to add that weight. One splurge day a week is acceptable
and even helpful; just make sure when the next day comes around,
you get back in the saddle again and get ready for 6 more days
of good clean eating and weight loss progress.
8. Get your body moving with exercise. You will not reach
your fat loss goals without getting your body in motion. Exercise
helps you burn calories more efficiently, improves blood circulation
to all parts of your body (including your brain), helps your skin
stay young looking, and even improves bone strength. Just 3 or
4 workouts per week is enough to get some truly life-changing benefits
from exercise. There are so many types of activities you can participate
in. There's no excuse. Weight
training exercises are great for both men and women to build muscle
strength. The more muscle your body has, the more calories it burns
per day. Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to get your blood
pumping and your energy levels high. Make sure to do some of your
exercise outdoors and breathe in some of that fresh air too!
9. Drink plenty of water. Drinking at least 8 glasses of
water per day is essential for fat loss. Water helps your digestion,
helps you feel energized, gives you a feeling of fullness and keeps
you looking young. In addition, water seems to act as a natural
appetite suppressant. In fact, people on diets who do not increase
their water intake will find themselves feeling hungry much more
often and more severely than those who do up their water consumption.
One possible reason for this is that dieters are getting less water
from their food, because they're eating less food, so the body
is actually craving fluid. These cravings can be significantly
curbed with increased water intake.
10. Supplement wisely. The JAMA (Journal of the American
Medical Association) now recommends a multi vitamin/mineral complex
for all healthy adults. Also, a quality weight loss supplement
may aid in your efforts and help you finally get rid of that unwanted
fat. (Note: weight loss supplements work well only in conjunction
with a healthy diet and exercise program). |
Nutritional
Values / Usage Instructions for our golden flax seeds.