Thyme For Nutrition

Whether you are trying to lose those ten extra pounds that have slowly snuck up on you or if you want to get back to a healthy weight and lifestyle, this article is for you.
The first plan of action to lose weight is to look seriously at what you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Secondly, and just as important, observe the food you eat the rest of the time. To successfully lose weight and keep it off you have to be truly honest with yourself. Make note of the extra or above necessary food that you eat. Examples of this would be high calorie specialty coffees, sweet buns or desserts, chips, snack foods, soft drinks, ice cream and alcoholic drinks. These types of food mainly come in the form of sugar (sweets), fats and alcohol and mainly empty calories nutritionally.

The simplest way to lose weight is not to diet but put your emphasis on eating healthily. To do this there are five food groups you should cover each day. If you make wise choices in each of these groups and eat the number of portions suitable for your size and age, you will feel full and the extra weight will fall off.

The first group is grains which include bread, cereal, rice and pasta. Whole grains such as whole grain bread and buns, oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat pasta are the healthiest as well as the best choices for losing weight. The reason for this is because whole grain contains important nutrients, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber. Whole grain foods will also manage your sugar levels better than refined grain foods which means you will have sustained energy rather than “peaks and valleys” energy throughout your day. If whole grains are new to you, slowly replace a refined grain with a whole grain. The easiest one to start with is bread. Your minimum goal is that at least half of all grains consumed should be whole grains. The optimum goal is to replace most if not all with whole grains. Have 6 to 8 servings of grains each day.

The next group to incorporate in your healthy eating plan is vegetables. Vegetables are very low in fat and calories. There are a wide variety of veggies available to us today. Be adventurous and you may find a new favorite. Take full advantage of the different vitamins and minerals they offer by eating different colors, shapes and types. For example veggies with Vitamin C would be peppers, broccoli and beets. Vitamin A veggies would be sweet potatoes, winter squash, spinach and carrots. When possible eat them raw with a tasty no/low fat dip. Eat 3 to 5 servings of veggies each day. A serving is 1 cup of leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach etc) or ½ cup of raw, cooked, canned or frozen veggies.

Include at least 2 to 3 servings of fruit each day in your meal plan or as a between meal snack. Fruit can satisfy cravings for sugar with a natural sweetness. They also provide fiber and vitamins. Eat them fresh or frozen. Buying fresh fruit in season (example strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) and freezing it gives you more variety throughout the year. Canned fruits are also good when canned in the fruit’s juice only. Check the label to make sure no syrup or sugar has been added. This will result in added calories. Fruit is a great addition to main course dishes as well as cereal, smoothies, or just by itself. Juice is also included in this group. Again, check the label before purchasing. Some “juice beverages” can have as much sugar as soft drinks.

The fourth group is dairy which includes milk, cheese and yogurt. Although milk is known for its calcium content, it also provides protein, vitamin A, vitamin D and phosphorous. It is wise to choose low-fat or no-fat items in this food group. Low-fat and no-fat milk, cheese and yogurt have become widely available in the last few years. Include 2 to 3 servings of dairy in your day.

The fifth food group that you should include each day is protein. Protein includes meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts.  Choose lean cuts of beef, pork, and other types of meat. Before cooking chicken, turkey and other types of poultry, be sure to remove the outer layer of fat. This will save you calories and unneeded saturated fat. If you are a vegetarian, you are already aware of other sources of protein. Two to three servings (3 to 5 oz per day) of protein are recommended. Here are a few examples to give you an idea what this looks like: half a chicken breast, a hamburger, three-fourths cup flaked fish, two thin slices of roast beef are approximately 3 oz.  Another way to picture it is a deck of playing cards is about 3 oz of meat. Think of meat as being an addition to your veggies, grains and fruits, not the centre of it.

We have all been taught that to be healthy the food we eat should come from grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, meats and beans and a small amount of oils. Make these food groups the majority of your eating plan. As you may have noticed there is no dessert food group. Sweets, soft drinks and foods found in the snack food and cookie aisles of the grocery store should be eaten at a minimal. If you greatly reduce the amount you eat of these foods, and concentrate on the food that makes you healthy, you will lose weight.