It's easy to let yourself be fooled into thinking the
things you eat are healthy. Foods dressed in crafty
packaging lead you to believe they will help you lose
weight.
But do they?
The truth is that most of the time the only thing special
about the so-called healthy food product is the clever
marketing. Have you been fooled by the following foods?
So-Called Healthy Food #1:
SALAD Who doesn't get a self-righteous feeling when
ordering a salad, right? Salads are healthy, and salads
equal weight loss. Unfortunately, not anymore.
Salad in and of itself is a wonderful, healthy food. It is
filled with nutrients and untouched by artificial
additives. If only we left it at that.
Most salads on the menu today are loaded with fat laden
extras. Croutons, tortilla strips, nuts, and even fried
chicken (not the best source of protein). And let's not
forget the salad dressing.
While you know that salad dressing isn't very healthy, you
may not be aware of the staggering number of fat calorie
packed in these dressings. Most people add between a
quarter to a half a cup of dressing to their salad, and
with the average creamy salad dressing weighing in at 8-12
grams of fat per tablespoon, you can see how an innocent
collection of greens can quickly turn into a spare tire.
So-Called Healthy Food #2:
100 CALORIE PACKS In the snack section of your local
grocery store you've probably seen the attractively
packaged "100 Calorie Packs." These light and airy snack
packs send a subtle message that they are healthy and in
line with your desire to drop the fat. I mean, how harmful
can they be? Let's take a look at the snacks within the
package. Here are the most popular:
Oreo cookies Ritz snack mix Planter's peanut butter cookies
Cheese Nips crackers Chips Ahoy cookies Shortbread cookie
Hmmm, that list sounds like junk food-doesn't it? These
items are high in sugar, salt and fat, and they don't
contain a grain of nutritional value. And let's be honest,
most people don't eat just one pack...
So-Called Healthy Food #3:
CEREAL Can a box of cereal help you lose weight? That's the
message being sent out by a handful of cereal brands,
namely Special K. This cereal manufacturer has gone so far
as to create the Special K Challenge, a program which
claims to help drop 6 pounds in 2 weeks. The message that
most consumers take away from the cereal commercials is "If
I eat this brand of cereal then I will lose weight."
Wait, don't grab a bowl of your favorite cereal along with
your skinny jeans just yet.
It's dangerous to think that any food item will promote
weight loss, especially a food item that is high in simple
carbohydrates. In the fine print you will see that the
cereal claims to help lose weight when incorporated with a
very low calorie diet, and that the cereal itself has no
weight loss inducing power.
Making the Healthy Choice As a rule of thumb ignore the
bold claims on food packaging-the information you really
need is listed on the nutrition label. Finding healthy food
is simple when you use the following guidelines.
Eat Fresh: The healthiest food in the world is fresh,
unprocessed whole foods. This includes fresh vegetables and
fruit, whole grains and legumes, and raw seeds and nuts.
These fresh foods supply your body with vitamins, minerals
and enzymes that are priceless to your health. When it
comes to meat, poultry and dairy choose products that are
grass fed and hormone and antibiotic free.
Set Limits: Let's be honest. Just because something is
edible doesn't mean you should eat it. A key to healthy
eating is to identify which items to limit or even
eliminate from your diet.
Cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that
you limit your intake of cholesterol from food to less than
300 milligrams per day.
Saturated Fat. Your intake of saturated fat should be less
than 7% of your total daily calories. Trans Fat. It is
recommended that you either eliminate trans fat from your
diet or keep it under 1% of your total daily calories.
Sugar. Most of us consume way more sugar than we should.
Make a habit of checking the ingredient list of the foods
you eat. If sugar is the first listed ingredient then you
know that item is packed with sugar.
Look at the whole picture: A healthy diet consists of
taking in a combination of fats, carbohydrates, fiber,
protein, vitamins and minerals each day. Remember that
eating too much of even healthy foods can lead to weight
gain. All of the foods that you eat should fit together to
form a well-balanced, calorie controlled diet.
The bottom line is that you should eat to live not live to
eat. Your body will thank you for it.
Want more ideas on how to get the body of your dreams
without starving yourself or doing boring exercise
routines? Contact me today to get started on a fitness
program that will change your body and improve your health.
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Get rid of those Fat Jeans and Get out the Skinny Jeans!
Are You Ready to Lose Your First 10 Pounds?
http://www.efit-today.com
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