One of the hardest, but best things a person can do to eat healthier and ultimately lose weight is to get rid of the rules.  Does this mean you can go crazy and eat whatever you want?  No – but it encourages you to learn about what foods are good for your body, and helps you to begin listening to your body more often.  Some days you might have more hunger, other days not so much.  But when you get to know your body, you will be able to eat according to you needs.   We are all born with this ability, it’s just lost when we start eating according to what a book or diet tells us to.

How to get rid of diet rules and start listening to your body:

• Evaluate your hunger and fullness levels and eat or stop accordingly.
• Keep a food diary to help you identify which foods feel good to eat, and which foods don’t.
• Eat slowly and take breaks.
• Eat previously “forbidden” foods and savor them.  Maybe choose a smaller portion, but allow yourself to eat them.
• Fire your diet police.  If you have a particularly bad day in which you haven’t listened to your body and eaten more than you need, respond with an observation rather than a judgment.  Was it a stressful day at work?  Were you busy and not planning your meals?  Whatever it was, investigate ways to do things differently in the future rather than beat yourself up.
• Continuously check in with yourself throughout the day – feelings, hunger, fullness, cravings, etc.  With practice this will be a lot easier.

There are different types of grains that make up a starchy carbohydrate.  Most carbohydrates start with a whole grain, but some foods are made with refined grains.  This just means that there has been some processing to the grain to make it more shelf stable; this typically eliminates the fiber and vitamins that were naturally occurring in the grain.  Here is where enriched flour comes in to play.  Because refining has taken away the vitamins, enriching has added the vitamins back into the food.  If a food says that it has whole grains, this means the grain is still intact and still has its vitamins and fiber.  However, this doesn’t always mean the food is healthy.  And why eat foods that have to go through so much processing to eat it?

Take a look at a food label that you have in your kitchen or the next time you are shopping.  Some labels will say, “made with whole grains”, which can be true, however, this can be a way to market their product.  In the ingredient list, the whole grains should be right at the top of the ingredient list.  If it’s listed further down, that means that it is present in a smaller quantity.  Another thing to look for is the amount of dietary fiber.  A good comparison tool would be to look at the percentage daily value of dietary fiber.  If this number is higher than 10%, it’s considered a good source of dietary fiber.

Bottom line: Reduce your intake of refined grains – white bread, white tortillas, crackers, chips, granola bars, snack cakes and cookies, white pasta.

To maximize your fiber and nutrient intake, increase your whole grains – popcorn, wild rice, brown rice, whole-grain barley, whole wheat, whole oats, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa and any item made up with the majority of any of these items.  If you are nervous to try some of these grains, some grocery stores have bulk bins where you can just get a small amount to try.  You can also taste test some of these grains in a recipe at some more popular gourmet health food stores.  Try something new!

I obtained this recipe from Cooking Light, but changed it up a bit for personal taste.  Sweet potatoes are a great ingredient in this stew because they provide a sweet savory hunk of goodness to every bite.

Ingredients: 2/3 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted – puree this in a food processor to peanut butter consistency.

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup diced celery

6 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes (To add some different vegetables, substitute 2 cups of sweet potatoes with parsnips)  (also, to add a bit more depth in flavor, sometimes I’ll roast the sweet potatoes before adding them to the soup….see instructions below)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added this to give the soup more of a kick)

2 (15 1/2 oz) cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

32 ounces of low sodium vegetable broth

1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add peanut butter, potatoes through tomatoes and bring to a boil. (for roasting instructions see below) Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Garnish with parsley.

If you are very ambitious, roast the sweet potatoes or the sweet potato/parsnip medley before adding to the soup.  If you decide to do this, start the roasting process before you start the rest of the soup.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Add vegetables to a large baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle a bit of salt over the vegetables and roast until the vegetables until just tender on the outside, but not all the way through.  About 20 – 30 minutes.  Add to soup and reduce simmering time to 10 or 15 minutes.

Aerobic Exercise:  Aerobic exercise helps to burn fat and improves your heart rate and overall cardiovascular health.  During the week, most of your exercise should be aerobic.  The current dietary guidelines for adults ages 18-64 encourages individuals to include at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise.  For added health benefits and weight loss, striving for 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week.  Examples of moderate-intensity would be walking vigorously, dancing, water aerobics, biking, and general gardening.  Examples of vigorous-intensity would be aerobic dance, jumping rope, race walking, jogging, running, basketball, soccer, swimming laps and riding bikes on hills or riding fast.

Anaerobic or Muscle Building:  Building muscles helps to prevent muscle loss during weight loss and also helps to increase your metabolism so that you burn more fat even when you aren’t working out.  It is recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines that adults should include muscle-strengthening activities at least twice per week.  Examples of this would be to lift weights, do push-ups, sit-ups or squats, and to target different parts of our body during your work outs, e.g. back, chest, legs, arms.

These are the types of exercise that most people think about when they start an exercise program.  I also wanted to touch on the importance of physical activity throughout the day.  It is good to go to the gym or set a specific time during your day to complete aerobic and anaerobic activities, but think about what you might be doing for the rest of your day.  Some individuals work in very sedentary environments.  So essentially, they could be working out an hour per day, but then sitting the rest of the day.  I encourage individuals to try and find ways to have physical activity throughout their day, whether they get up and walk down the hallway once per hour or they park farther away from their office or walk at lunchtime.  Bottom line: avoid inactivity most of the time.  Try and take 5 or 10 minutes periodically throughout your day to move and get away from your
“screen” a.k.a. computer or television.

There are more benefits that can be obtained from exercise and physical activity than just weight loss.  It can prevent most chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.  It is encouraged for those individuals who haven’t been exercising to see a primary care provider for a health physical and clearance before starting an exercise routine.

It is common for individuals who are overweight or obese to fall into the pattern of skipping meals. When I see these individuals for weight management I start by having them eat breakfast and work their way up to eating 4 or 5 small meals per day. Many times when I discuss this, my clients are nervous they will gain weight as they are eating more food. To their surprise the weight usually starts dropping instantly.

Eating small frequent meals takes extra work. You may have to plan healthy snacks ahead of time and plan to take breaks during the day to eat. But in the end you will develop a healthy habit and your weight and metabolism will reward you.

For years shelf-stable cookies, snacks, breads, and other products have been made with trans-fatty acids.  Now there is a link between trans-fats and increased risk for heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity.  Food dyes and monosodium glutamate have been linked to a cause of migraines.  Some say that high fructose corn syrup can be associated with obesity and a possibly can increase risk for diabetes mellitus.  What’s next?

Those some of these claims have been argued, there is something to be said about foods with ingredients that are familiar.  What about if your ingredient list said whole wheat flour, canola oil, eggs, honey, and milk?  These ingredients are probably much easier to pronounce and definitely recognizable.  Do you think your body would react to these ingredients in much the same way; recognizable?  In other words, you body is probably going to digest this food easier because it is a natural, whole, and nutritious food that it recognizes.

Does this mean you have to swear off processed foods forever?  If you remember tip #3 – eat healthy 90% of the time, so 10% you don’t have to.  Everything in moderation is ok – and that includes processed foods.  But next time you go shopping, take a look at your food labels when you are making your choices.   Tips for reducing processed foods: Shop the perimeter of your store – where all of the produce, low fat dairy, breads and lean meats are located; read your food labels; and eat foods that have been home cooked most of the time.  Don’t know how to cook or don’t have time?  Hire a personal chef – I use the healthiest ingredients I can find and will use all local and organic upon request!

Ingredients:  1 cup Quinoa, rinsed (If you are nervous about trying Quinoa, Whole Foods will let you sample one of their recipes at the deli counter and they sell it in bulk bins so you only have to buy enough for the recipe)

2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (you can buy them already toasted, or toast them in a nonstick skillet on medium until they just turn brown; keep an eye on them as they can burn in an instant)

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, bring broth and quinoa to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.

Over medium high, heat a medium non stick skillet until hot, add olive oil and chopped yellow onions.  Stir occasionally until onion is almost soft, about 6 minutes.  Green onions can be added during the last minute of cooking the yellow onion if you want a milder onion flavor.  Otherwise add them at the end with the parsley.  When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and add to the onions with the almonds.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with a sprinkling of green onions and parsley.

For added protein and if using this as a main dish, I sometime will add a can of drained and rinsed cannellini or garbanzo beans and I’ll serve it with a green salad or any other steamed vegetable.

Yields 6 servings; Serving Size 3/4 cup  Calories: 180, Fat: 8g, Protein: 6g, Fiber: 2g

Ingredients:  1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (I prefer the fresh green beans, but have used frozen in a pinch)

2 medium shallots, sliced (1/3 cup) (shallots are a smaller onion usually found by the garlic, its a very mild tasting onion and is slightly sweet when sauted);

3/4 pound of your favorite mushrooms, sliced (baby bellas have alot more flavor than white button mushrooms and you can buy them presliced.  If you buy them presliced, use them within 2 or 3 days to get the best flavor);

Salt and pepper to taste; 2 Tbsp olive oil, Splash of white wine (you can use water or vegetable broth as well)

Directions: Put green beans in a microwave safe bowl with 1 Tbsp of water, covered tightly.  If fresh, microwave on high for 4 minutes, if frozen microwave at 80% for 4 minutes.  (I always do this with frozen vegetables because otherwise they get soggy and overcooked.  With my microwave, I have to push 4 minutes first, then the power button, then I just push the number 8 and it automatically chooses 80%.  Every microwave is different, you may have to refer to your owner’s manual)

Heat a nonstick pan on medium high.  Once pan is hot, add olive oil and add shallots.  Saute until soft, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so that the shallots don’t burn.  Add mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add a splash of wine or broth – maybe a couple tablespoons worth and scrape the bottom of the pan while the wine evaporates.  After it has almost completely evaporated, add green beans to mushroom mix.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6 – serving size 1/2 cup.  Calories: 80, Fat: 5g, Protein: 4g, Fiber: 3g

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger.

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