Weight loss tips and tricks

Give Up Milk!

This Tip is SO IMPORTANT!  As you may have read in the protein section of my healthy eating overview, Milk is an absolute NO NO!  It is one of the WORST food items for our system, completely bringing our digestion to a halt!  We all need to understand that the myths we have been taught our entire lives about needing Milk for strong bones, Calcium to prevent Osteoporosis and keep us healthy and completely FALSE!  Just as animals are weened from their mothers’ milk, humans have no need for milk after puberty.  There are many other ways to get our daily allowance of Calcium that are much healthier and provide much more Calcium for our bodies.

Learn The SUPERFOODS! 

There are certain food items that can really boost your Metabolism and supercharge Weight Loss and Fat Burning!  By identifying these food items and incorporating them into your daily meal routine you can’t fail!  They are going to help clean out your digestive track, while boosting your immune system and can even do some DAMAGE CONTROL if you mess up and eat a mixture of foods that are very bad for you.   Try to plan when you go off you the eating plan a splurge if possible.  By eating a meal loaded with fiber (Whole Wheat, Spinach, Cabbage, Kale) before a splurge you will prepare your digestive track for the BAD things you are going to put in it later.  Then, after you have your Fatty Foods, wait an hour or so then eat a decent portion of yogurt rich in Probiotics.  This will help flush the extra fats through your system rapidly with less intestinal problems.

Superfoods: 

• Almonds
• Apples
• Avacados
• Beets
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Flaxseed
• Green Tea
• Kale
• Oatmeal
• Onions/Garlic
• Parsley
• Pineapples
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Walnuts
• Whole Grains
• Greek Yogurt

Eat Fresh Foods Over Packaged Foods!

Packaged foods are loaded with additives and preservatives to give them a longer shelf life at the grocery store.  However, our bodies have no idea how to process these chemicals during digestion, so these items turn to sludge in our system when digested.  It’s like putting sugar in your cars’ gas tank.  So it is very important to start making the initiative to cook your own meals from scratch as much as possible!  With everyone’s busy lives today this may be a bit harder to do, but with some simple planning you can throw a meal together in no time.

• Prepare large portions, then package them in single serve containers and reserve them to eat later.
• Cook meats in advance.  Refrigerate or freeze to be used when throwing together a meal quickly. (Frozen meat thaws rapidly & evenly when the container is placed in a sink filled with hot water.)

 

Eat Whole Wheat/Whole Grains Before Physical Exercise! 

Studies have been done on the effects of eating whole wheat then preforming a physical activity and researchers found that you will actually double your fat burning capabilities if you ingest whole wheat around an hour before becoming physically active.  Also, whole grains give us a slower and longer release of energy which will allow us more stamina for physical activity.

Never Shop For Food On An Empty Stomach!

Shopping hungry can cause us to make many more impulse buys at the grocery store that can sabotage our healthy eating plan.  Instead, eat a nice meal or snack before you shop, preferably containing the Whole Grains I just talked about, which will turn your simple shopping trip into a double fat-burning workout!  Think about it…your walking all over, your pushing something heavy around a large area and it will typically take you 45 mins to an hour to complete.  Then, once you get home you have to haul everything in the house and put it away!

Chew Your Food Slowly!

Eating slowly gradually reduces the appetite from the time you begin to eat.  It takes the brain about 15-20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness.  So if you eat slower, you end up eating less.
Also, it is well known that digestion begins in the mouth, where the saliva is mixed with the food and starts to break it down into smaller chemicals that can be absorbed and nourish the body.  Chewing thoroughly promotes smooth, complete digestion.  Basically the slower you eat, the faster and more efficiently you metabolize the food.  When food is swallowed whole it makes it more difficult for the body to absorb all the important vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.  So if you can, chew your food to almost a liquid consistency.

Drink Fluids an Hour or Two After Meals! 

It helps to minimize drinking water and other fluids while eating.  Drinking fluids can cause dilution of the stomach acids and digestive enzymes, making them less effective at breaking down food.  Whenever possible, it is best to drink fluids before and one to two hours after meals.  Reducing the amount of salt and spices added to foods is helpful in reducing the need to drink fluids with meals.

Make Drinking Water A Habit!

In between meals, and as much as you can during your day, drink water.  If you get tired of plain water, you can get a zero calorie water flavoring like Crystal Light which is very handy and tasty.  Just add a packet to a bottle of water and you will have a zero calorie drink in any flavor you like.  Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated which is extremely important for healthy skin,  good digestion & improved waste removal.   To calculate how much water you should drink in day, take your weight and divide by 2, that will give you the number of fluid ounces you should drink.  So if you weigh 140 pounds divide that by 2, leaving 70, so you would need to drink 70 ounces of water per day.

 

Drink Green Tea! 

Green tea contains high concentrations of “Catechin Polyphenols”.  These compounds work with the chemicals in our body to intensify “Thermogenesis”, (the body’s rate of burning calories) meaning it causes heat to be created in the body by burning body fat.  Drinking Japanese green tea regularly will increase your metabolism and help burn fat safely and naturally.  We gain weight when excess sugars and fats are stored in our fat cells.  Green tea “Catechins” can help prevent obesity by inhibiting the movement of glucose into fat cells.  It has also been proven that Green Tea lowers Cholesterol.

Avoid Drinking Carbonated Pop & Soda!

Studies for years have suggested a link between drinking soda and obesity. Soft drinks are high in sugar and calories and have no nutritional value.  More than not, soda causes most drinkers to pack on the pounds without receiving even the smallest nutritional benefit.  And it is no better for you to consume diet soda as an alternative, because it has been linked to weight gain as well.   Soft drinks are made up mainly of chemicals, that again, our bodies do not know how to process.

Avoid Alcohol!

I’m not saying to never drink a cocktail again, but Alcohol slows the metabolism down and it kills off the good bacteria in our intestines, so it should always use it in moderation.  It would be a best case scenario to only have cocktails on the weekends.  But if you are going to partake in a drink during the week you should only have ONE glass and the best for you being a Red Wine.

Eat Greek Yogurt and Kefir!

I can’t say this enough, this is something we should all use religiously. Probiotics in yogurts are “Friendly Bacteria” that are naturally present in the digestive system. Research has been done, showing the evidence that some strains of probiotics can help boost the immune system and promote a healthy digestive tract.  One type of Greek yogurt I am very impressed with is FAGE Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt, as it contains live strains of this “good bacteria”, is low in calories & fat, and tastes wonderful when used in recipes or eaten alone.
Another dairy product known as Kefir, is the grains of cultured the milk, infused with healthy organisms, that help support the digestive system and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines. Lifeway Kefir Smoothies pack billions of good bacteria into delicious drinkable yogurt smoothies that come in many wonderful flavors.
These items should be consumed daily because only a small amount of the bacteria can withstand the acidity of our stomachs,and make it to the intestines.  Not to mention, the bacteria will pass through your digestive system within a day or two, so to ensure that there are plenty in your intestines at all times, you should have some yogurt or kefir every day.

Other Ways Of Getting More Probiotics

GoodBelly Probiotic Juices are another beneficial source of these “Good” bacteria, and unlike yogurt or kefir, they are totally Vegan.

Use Lots Of Parsley!

Most people don’t think of Parsley as more than a decorative garnish, but is benefits are huge!  Parsley contains a whole range of healthy vitamins which all aid healthy digestion.

• Beta Carotene which is converted by the body into Vitamin A.  This nutrient helps eyesight and protects the liver, colon and lungs.  Next to carrots and sweet potatoes, parsley is one of the best natural sources of beta-carotene.
• It contains chlorophyll which helps to fight bacteria and fungus, suppress viruses and aids the lungs in expelling environmental pollutants.
• Folic acid in parsley can help prevent heart disease by strengthening blood vessels.
• It is a great source of iron, which helps to fight anemia, it also is 20% protein.
• Lastly also contains many other vitamins and minerals that help to strengthen your immune system purify your blood and keep your body healthy and strong.  Excellent for women who experience frequent yeast infections, if eaten or used in tea, Parsley can help clear up and infection and calm the side affects within hours.

Learn To “Damage Control” Eat! 

If you know you are going to eat a poorly such as, go out to a dinner of fried foods or mix red meats with carbohydrates, consume a large amount of alcohol, binge on sweets/fats or all of the above…eat a meal or two ahead of time that is loaded with some Superfoods (listed above) to help lessen the effects of your splurge.  Drinking Green Tea before and after a heavy night of drinking can be incredibly helpful in cleansing your system of the toxins from the alcohol and lessen a hangover.  Eating yogurt or ingesting a decent amount of probiotics before and after eating poorly, will help remove the bad items from your system.  Eating a meal enriched with Spinach, Kale, Broccoli or Cabbage will help rid your body of the bad items as well, keeping your system running smoothly after your binge.

SOURCE:
http://thescienceofeating.com/food-combining-how-it-works/tips-tricks/