A long time ago it was much simpler to select what you were going to eat. You grew it, raised it and then you pulled it from the ground or butchered it. These days you have restaurant after restaurant and tons of chemically engineered "crap", for lack of a better word, because really we can't call a marshmallow food now can we? Pay close attention because here is the most common misconceptions about eating healthy.
You see a commercial on TV with two girlfriends talking about how one lost so much weight, and she says she did it by eating whole grain cereal. Another commercial shows a bunch of happy kids running around with a mom who know best, feeding them a whole grain cereal for breakfast. Take a look at the nutrition label of a cereal box made with whole grain. There is more sugar in it than a can of soda per serving. So just because it has whole grain does not mean it is healthy. Cereals are, in my opinion one of the worst things you can have for breakfast. It has way too little protein and way too many carbs and fat. Get your whole grains from bread, wraps, noodles. Have egg whites and toast for breakfast. Cereal should not be on that grocery list!
Companies play up, fat free and sugar free on just about anything. I was looking at a reduced fat peanut butter one day and it had exactly the same amount of calories as the regular peanut butter. How is that you ask?? Well they added more sugar, but took out some of the fat so the calorie content was the same. Your best bet is to stick with regular or natural peanut butter but keep it in moderation. The healthy fat from the nuts in peanut butter is alot better for you than the added sugar in a reduced fat peanut butter. On that note, please don't eat a bowl of nuts, almonds, cashews etc...Just because its a healthy fat doesn't mean you can eat the whole can of nuts. Doing that will only make you store the fat your body doesn't use, easily consuming 300+ calories(all from fat) in one sitting with our favorite bowl of nuts is not in our waist lines best interest. Nine times out of ten in just about any product you will find that a sugar free product is less in calories than a fat free product. Something like coffee creamer that we just can't live without would be something I would chose to reduce the amount of unwanted calories by getting sugar free.
How many of you like the flavored water? I'm a huge fan of Crystal Light. Buyer beware though, for companies are not required to put the calories you can get from herbal ingredients on the nutrition labels. I bought a bottle of calorie free water and after reading the label realized I had just consumed 70 calories(from herbal ingredients). I don't know about you but the last place I want to get calories is from a drink. Also know that if the calorie content per serving is less than 1 gram they are not required to list that as a calorie either. Most zero calorie drinks are in fact about 5 calories per serving because of non listed calories on the label. In the ingredient list you will find an Astrix with this next to it; *trivial amount of calories. Don't get me wrong here, a calorie here and there,eeehh no biggie. It can add up though so just keep your health conscious eyes peeled when it comes to buying your food. The media and all these big companies are not concerned about our health, just the all mighty dollar so their adds and commercials will say whatever they want to say about how good it is for you even when it in fact is not.
Many doctors have argued about higher protein diets. Are they bad for you? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! I am not a doctor or a scientist but I can tell you that you need protein to support muscle and muscle growth, Yes ladies we need muscle!! Lean body mass not only supports your skeletal system better but also your immune system and metabolic system. The more muscle (aka lean body mass) you have the faster your metabolism is, therefore will burn more calories even at rest than someone with low lean body mass and high fat mass. I recommend 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 140lbs you would consume 140 grams of of protein in a day. If you have kidney problems you should consult a doctor before consuming a high protein diet. A healthy individual will benefit hugely by this. Eating higher protein and less carbs will also keep you fuller longer, help sustain muscle and build it too if you weight train regularly.
We all care about our bodies because we only get one to live this life in. Being healthy and fit is extremely rewarding in more ways than I can think of. One thing I would like to point out is the mental health that it brings. Its not about a number on the scale or the size of our jeans, it's about Happiness!
Stephanie Willes (@stephaniewilles)
ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Certificate in Advanced Sports Nutrition
(for more information or your own personalized nutrition program please contact Stephanie through the link above)
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