Luise Light Weight Loss

Slimming Without Fear

News reports tell us that Americans eat too much but fail to satisfy their nutritional needs. That might sound like a contradiction unless you recognize that a lot of the foods and drinks we consume frequently don't deliver the nutrition we need to survive and stay healthy.
· 80 percent of children, 86 percent of men and 93 percent of women don't get enough vitamin E, which is essential for the health of the immune system;
· Two out of three adults don't get enough magnesium for a healthy metabolism;
· More than half of us fall short of enough Vitamin A, needed for a strong immune system and good vision;
· Half of us don't get enough Vitamin C which helps the functioning of our immune systems;
· Half of women and 40 percent of men don't get enough calcium, vitamin D and magnesium needed for strong bones;
· Most of us fall far short of consuming enough fiber important for reducing the risks for heart disease, cancer, proper functioning of the digestive system and for natural appetite control;
· B vitamins and trace minerals are short in many U.S. diets; these essential nutrients plus non-nutrient antioxidants are anti-aging factors and protect us against most of our common chronic diseases, including heart disease, many cancers, diabetes, and high blood pressure;
· While many of us eat fatty foods, we fail to get the types and amounts of good fats we need (omega 3 fats) to maintain healthy tissues and we eat too much of the types that are dangerous to our hearts (trans and hydrogenated fats);
· The reason we are short of magnesium, and many vitamins and antioxidants is because we don't eat a variety of fresh, colorful vegetables daily-the only ones in many people's diets are French fried potatoes, pizza sauce, and pale lettuce.

Nutritional factors that we need can be found in whole foods where they are available with co-factors that allow our bodies to use them effectively. What about the calories that are making us too fat-the particular culprits in our personal fat wars?

Here are the ideas for better eating that you won't find in the government's latest edition of Dietary Guidelines (2005):
· Eating the wrong diet for our particular metabolism-too much sugary and white flour foods and drinks when we are carbohydrate-intolerant, and too many calories of all types when we are calorie-sensitive, piles on the pounds; find out what type you are and eat accordingly;
· Eating too many concentrated calories-processed and fast foods with more calories from sugars, fats, and starch, ounce for ounce, then fresh foods, have gotten many of us in trouble; use food labels to find and avoid foods that offer too little nutrition and too many additives;
· Drinking too many calories-some of us get as much as 40 percent of daily calories from commercially sweetened drinks-soft drinks, frappaccinos, alcoholic drinks, milk shakes, sweetened fruit drinks and teas; that means the remaining 60 percent of your calories have to supply you with ALL of the nutrition you need. If you are trying to cut down to control your weight, let's say, eating only 1200 or 1000 calories a day, you won't be able to get what you need from the 600 to 800 calories you have left to work with. It can't be done.
· Addictions to sweets-many of us can't suppress the desire for sweet foods and treats, in spite of knowing that they're not good for us and are a disaster for controlling our weight; if you can't seem to break the pattern, try eating more frequent mini protein meals over the day- but keep them on the lean side! A little can go a long way.
· Many of us have been on so many yo-yo diets over the years that we have damaged our metabolism. We require a customized weight loss strategy or we won't lose much weight despite our best efforts; you will need to choose the best approach for you-high protein, controlled calories, or a combination of controlled carbohydrates and calories. Test out what works best for you over a 2-week period. Caution: be sure to eat enough calories or you'll be sabotaging yourself.
· Too little physical exercise means that we are losing the battle of the bulge, year by year; a half hour of aerobic activity plus strength-building and flexibility training at a gym several times each week can shave off pounds, keep us from gaining, and make us feel younger and more energized.
· Most of us drink too little water and it makes us feel muddled, tired, anxious, and/or irritable. If that describes you, start drinking 6-8 glases of water daily. The ideal is the number of ounces that is your weight divided in half.

The bottom line is never go hungry, and when you're dying for something sweet, eat some protein food -a slice of leftover roast turkey, 5-6 nuts, a hard-boiled egg, a chunk of cheese, or a few spoons of cottage cheese. Don't skip any meals. Start your meals with soup or salad for best appetite control. Don't be afraid of fat-the perfect meals and snacks have balanced amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates from natural or minimally processed foods. Avoid synthetic factory foods, including products labeled: no fat, low fat, low glycemic, or artificially sweetened. Read labels. You'll be surprised at how much junk there is in junk foods.