Archive for the 'Diets' Category

Are you trying to plan your detox diet around family outings and celebrations? How will you ever stay on your plan while you travel, go to work meetings, or attend birthday parties? We all have busy lives, juggling family, career, school, and whatever surprises life tosses our way. So creating a healthier diet for the short or long term can seem daunting.

Well, we are here to assure you that you do NOT have to feel deprived when you detox! There are loads of nourishing substitutes for your cravings and satisfying ways to treat yourself. And the long term rewards of a healthier, cleaner body more energy, clearer thinking, brighter mood are MUCH greater than the short term benefits of a sugar or caffeine buzz.

So here are 6 tricks and tips for a successful detox even in the midst of a busy or challenging schedule.

Plan and Commit! Use our Free Detox Planner (see resource box) to map out your detox plan and make the decision to follow it in the midst of your busy life. Devise a plan that is reasonable for you to succeed with but challenges you to dip a little deeper into clean eating.

Start you Day on FULL. Breakfast, as you know, is the most important meal of the day! Dont scrimp on your first meal make it really count. Green smoothies are one of the best ways to fill up your body with nourishment and to curb your appetite for less healthy options. Make your smoothie or a healthy detox recipe first thing in the morning and eat it before your tummy wakes up. Dont give your brain or tummy time to consider old comfort foods and before you know youll be satisfied and feeling energized for a successful detox day!

Dont let lunch sneak up on you. Whether you are going to work, traveling, or just puttering at home, make or plan your lunch ahead of time. Its hard to make a healthy lunch decision when youre hungry and/or out in the world of unhealthy options. Theres no need to put yourself in that position. Pack a healthy lunch and bring it with you whether youre going to work, running errands, or heading to the airport.

Choose to celebrate life! We all have celebrations or events to attend with lots of tempting food thats not on our plan. Choosing to feel deprived is just that a choice! We can feel deprived or we can feel empowered! The celebration is not really about the food, is it? When we choose to feel grateful for the chance to gather with friends, connect, and celebrate, we dont need the junk food to feel good! Celebrate life by treating your body with respect and honoring it with healthy, nourishing choices.

Bring life to the party! When you go to a party, meeting or family gathering bring along a special healthy dessert or dish to share with everyone. Raw chocolate fudge, sugar-free vegan cookies, or healthy pies (coming soon!) are great celebratory snacks. People are always happy to receive and enjoy delicious food. This is a great way to stay on your detox while sharing nourishing food with your friends and family. Youll be surprised how curious everyone is about the exotic, delicious, whole foods youve brought. And chances are, when they see how great you look and how good the food tastes, theyll be asking how to start their own detox!

Eat before you go. When youre at an event with unhealthy food, sometimes focusing on something other than the food is easier said than done. This is especially true if youre hungry, in withdrawal and experiencing cravings. Plan ahead by eating something healthy or drinking extra smoothie, before you leave the house. If youre going to a restaurant, fill up a bit before you go and then order something light and fresh. That way you can enjoy the company instead of stressing out about the food. Avoid eating the bread served at the beginning of the meal and ask the server what fresh vegetables and grains they can prepare for you. Be explicit about what you want left out. Often you will end up with a meal so yummy and fresh looking others at your table will envy it!

Remember that YOU are worth it. Your detox is not about depriving yourself. Its about adding in food choices and activities that truly nurture and fulfill you. Food is not the enemy or the main point of life it is a glorious celebration and life-giving force!

Honor your body with the most nourishing and life-sustaining food choices possible. Create new habits and forgive yourself when you slip back into the old. Gently remind yourself that every step brings you closer to radiant health. Lovingly guide yourself back onto the path. You are truly worth it!

It is very important to know about weight packers and protein foods in order to select them sensibly in your diet. This article has discussed the common weight packers and protein foods and how they can affect your weight loss goal.

1. Weight packers

Studies suggest that the combination of fructose and dextrose can interface with your brains ability to recognize you are full. Diet experts recommend “Reduce the sugar intake in general”. Extra sugar in your body is stored as fat. So you must choose whole fruit over dried, and fruit canned in its own juice instead of syrup.

You should also say no to hydrogenated fats. Unlike the non-unsaturated fats in some cooking oils or the polyunsaturated fats in nuts and seeds the good fats- hydrogenated fats are found in processed foods such as pastries, French fries and biscuits. When hydrogen gas is added to otherwise healthy unsaturated liquid fat, it turns into a solid, partly saturated ‘trans fat’ that can send your bad cholesterol levels, heart disease risk and weight sky rocketing. You must avoid these fats whenever possible. You can start by skipping fried foods. The dietitians and nutritionists: all recommend this.

2. Protein foods

Will protein foods curb your cravings? This is a common question asked by everyone. Let see the views of dietitians. Proteins have a role in making you feel full, say diet experts. Proteins take longer to digest than carbohydrates. But many people make the mistake of not balancing their protein intake throughout the day. They wait till until the dinner time at which points they fill up on meat or other protein rich foods. At lunch time they will eat a vegetable sandwich or salad but will get hungry again by mid-afternoon. This is not correct.

The nutritionists suggest making protein work for a person throughout the day by adding some chicken, fish (or low fat dairy products) to that lunch time veggie salad or sandwich. Or add some extra ham to that ham sandwich. These suggestions must be followed for balancing your protein intake throughout the day. Further, the experts say that if you eat toast with jam for breakfast, you must add natural peanut butter to it to keep you going longer. Such easy-to-follow tips can go a long way in making your diet a balanced and nutritious one.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

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