When I work with clients, I teach them the best way to lose weight is to eat real, whole foods.
Dieting can be so restrictive and it is easy to put weight back on when you go “off your diet”.
But when you learn to eat whole, real foods and eliminate the processed foods, it can become a lifestyle that is easy to maintain and to keep weight off!
Here are a few principles to think about when you choose your food:
Eat Real Food - at least 80-90% of your food should be whole foods, not the processed and packaged foods that we can just pop in a microwave to heat and then eat. Look for high quality proteins in animals and legumes, nuts, seeds, veggies, fruit, whole grains (if you can eat them), organic dairy, olive oil, herbs, spices, teas, coffee and water.
Food Can Give You Good Health Or Move You Away From It - the food you eat gives your genes and microbiomes directions. It can repair, replenish, and nourish, or it can create inflammation and illness in your body. Eat enzyme-rich, probiotic-rich and prebiotic-rich foods. Find locally grown food if possible. The vibrancy of the food you eat translates directly to your own vibrant health.
Eat a Rainbow of Food - Look for colorful foods. The green, orange, yellow, red, white/tan, and purple/blue foods are loaded with phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, fiber and other ingredients that our bodies need to function at peak levels.
Learn to Cook - Cooking at home gives you control over what goes into your meals. Eating out at restaurants puts you at the mercy of their inflammatory oils used for frying and cooking, using less than stellar ingredients, and also using processed foods. When you cook your own food you know exactly what goes into it and you can plan leftovers to use for future meals (pop them into the freezer for the future).
When you eat whole, real foods you can control the quality of calories that you are eating and this can help you feel fuller for longer and help you lose weight. This type of eating is sustainable and can help you live a quality life full of energy!
sources: Digestive Wellness by Dr. Elizabeth Lipski