I am writing this in honor of my roommate Kelly, but know it is a struggle for many so I would like to share it with everyone.
Its awesome that she recently started working out and is on the right track to improving her health, but like a lot of people she thinks working out alone will make her healthy, fit, and feeling good, but without changing her diet and fueling her body properly, she is only dealing with half the battle and can only improve so much.
When she reached for a bowl of sugar cereal after working out last night, I had to say something….there is more than one thing wrong with this picture (other than eating breakfast for dinner!) . But, let me give you a few that may not be that obvious. The body needs to be refueled after burning so many free radicals, and in order for it to repair worked muscles and tissues, it needs antioxidants and protein. These are found in fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and lean meats. Processed sugars are known as “empty calories” meaning they are not and can not be recognized by the body as food, and so they are stored as fat, not energy (which would actually help burn even more fat!) This would also explain why she said, she also feels she needs to start eating more throughout the day! Its not that she needs to eat more, but better, empty calories will not make her full or help her reenergize after or before a workout. I looked at the ingredients, and not to my surprise the first three ingredients, were Sugar, Corn Syrup, Processed Enriched white flour… The box claims “contains fruit and fat free” on the front, to which neither are true! I believe it’s a common misconception at which no one is to blame except for the companies and their desceptive marketing schemes, but we must look at ingredients to not only boxes, but ingredients to what our body needs!
With that being said, I want to help Kelly and others, to become more aware of what “is” considered food and to remember that food is fuel for your bodies gas tank! The more natural the state of food is, the more it makes sense that God made it for us and it has not been processed by man, so it must be better for us, right! I love it that Kelly is trying to learn, and its just a matter of education, not ignorance, she even asked me to make her a grocery list and so I am going to make her a short and sweet easy check list that anyone can go by. If you are trying to lose weight, I would suggest cutting out dairy all together (no milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, etc). No Sodas..diet or regular, EVER! No Candy or packaged processed goods, and always eat breakfast! Glad to say, she did put the cereal back and opted for a healthier meal!
Breakfast:
-Oats, preferably not the prepackaged kind as they can be loaded with sugars. Add nuts, fruit, ginger, dried fruit or cinnamon to keep it from getting boring
-Whole Grains (Cereals and breads)- always check the ingredients in any packaged item and make sure it does NOT include any of the following (Sugar, Corn Syrup, Partially hydrogenated Oils, enriched flours) first ingredient should be Whole Wheat flour.
-fruit is especially great if you are working out, and don’t want a big meal beforehand. Bananas have extra potassium and iron which give extra energy.
-smoothies with frozen fruit, and juice (check to make sure it is from fruit, not from concentrate) or nondairy milk (soy, almond, rice). You can also add kale or red chard
-Eggs, but not cooked in butter or oil, use an oil spray sparingly.
Lunch:
-Salads- I put so many different beans, veggies, grains, whatever leftovers I may have lying around, to keep it exciting. Kidney. Black, garbanzo beans, are great additions. Tomatos, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots, beets, avocados, basil, quinoa. So many tasty things I don’t need dressing, maybe some balsamic vinegar and lemon.
-Whole Wheat Pita, wraps or bread- and I made the salad list so long, so that you can use the same ingredients in a sandwhich or wrap. Add Hummus for a great mayo alternative
Snacks-baby carrots, chopped broccoli/ cauliflower, whole grain crackers, or baked chips dipped in hummus or salsa.
-sliced apples, grapes, oranges, kiwis,
-dried fruit or trail mix (check for NO added sugars or sulfer dioxide) Trader Joes has great ones
-nut or almond butters on whole wheat crackers
Dinner-salads, can also try quinoa salads (cook quinoa add basil, avocado, lemon)
-beans- so many great ways to have beans. I start with sauting a little garlic and onion in water. Than add beans, with one or more of the following (chopped carrots, diced celery, broccoli, tomatoes, cumin (great seasoning in beans!) and for a little thicker, more soup like dish add brown rice or quinoa.
-steamed veggies, slice carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and add some seasoning
-baked squashes or yams.- spaghetti, acorn, butternaut squashes, just slice in half, put in about 1 inch of water in a casserole dish and bake for about 35-45 mins. Yams, put in tinfoil and bake
-whole grain pasta dishes with tomatos and added veggies
-brown or wild rice with steamed veggies, and seasonings such as Braggs
-fish on the grill, put in tinfoil with some lemon and seasoninings. Veggies on the grill, asparagus, zucchini, squash
These are all simple dishes that can be made with ingredients that should be stocked in the cabinet and fridge.
Quickie shopping list- find at Trader Joes at a competitive price!
*Snacks, Dried Fruit, Trail Mixes, Nuts
Baked Blue Tortilla Chips Whole Grain Rice Cakes
Fruit Leathers Dried Fruit
Lightly Salted or Raw Nuts and Seeds Popcorn
Whole grain Pretzels Hummus, salsas
Raw nuts
*Fruits and Veggies
spinach or red leaf lettuce yams or squashes for baking or grilling
Packs of chopped broccoli/ cauliflower and baby carrots (for dipping)
Tomatos, onions, garlic, cilantro, mushrroms, cucumbers, carrots (for salads and bean)
Bags of frozen veggies- great for stirfrys and pastas
Bags of frozen fruit- great for smoothies and to add to oatmeal
Cans of beans- black, kidney, white cannelli, garbanzo
Cans of tomatoes of pasta sauce- check the ingredients and make sure NO Partially Hydrogenated anything
*Breads, Crackers cereals
whole wheat pizza dough
box or bulk oats (check Winco)
Barbara’s cereals TJ’s Rich Golden Rounds (like Ritz)
Ezekiel Sprouted Seven Grain Bread TJ’s Woven Wheats Wafers (like Triscuits)
Whole Wheat French Bread TJ’s Brand crackers, similar to Wheat Thins
Whole Wheat Tortillas Whole Wheat Hamburger and Hotdog Buns
Sprouted Breads, Bagels, Tortillas Whole Wheat Pretzels
Some randoms- cage free eggs, milk alternative, wild free range chicken and fish
Its awesome that she recently started working out and is on the right track to improving her health, but like a lot of people she thinks working out alone will make her healthy, fit, and feeling good, but without changing her diet and fueling her body properly, she is only dealing with half the battle and can only improve so much.
When she reached for a bowl of sugar cereal after working out last night, I had to say something….there is more than one thing wrong with this picture (other than eating breakfast for dinner!) . But, let me give you a few that may not be that obvious. The body needs to be refueled after burning so many free radicals, and in order for it to repair worked muscles and tissues, it needs antioxidants and protein. These are found in fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and lean meats. Processed sugars are known as “empty calories” meaning they are not and can not be recognized by the body as food, and so they are stored as fat, not energy (which would actually help burn even more fat!) This would also explain why she said, she also feels she needs to start eating more throughout the day! Its not that she needs to eat more, but better, empty calories will not make her full or help her reenergize after or before a workout. I looked at the ingredients, and not to my surprise the first three ingredients, were Sugar, Corn Syrup, Processed Enriched white flour… The box claims “contains fruit and fat free” on the front, to which neither are true! I believe it’s a common misconception at which no one is to blame except for the companies and their desceptive marketing schemes, but we must look at ingredients to not only boxes, but ingredients to what our body needs!
With that being said, I want to help Kelly and others, to become more aware of what “is” considered food and to remember that food is fuel for your bodies gas tank! The more natural the state of food is, the more it makes sense that God made it for us and it has not been processed by man, so it must be better for us, right! I love it that Kelly is trying to learn, and its just a matter of education, not ignorance, she even asked me to make her a grocery list and so I am going to make her a short and sweet easy check list that anyone can go by. If you are trying to lose weight, I would suggest cutting out dairy all together (no milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, etc). No Sodas..diet or regular, EVER! No Candy or packaged processed goods, and always eat breakfast! Glad to say, she did put the cereal back and opted for a healthier meal!
Breakfast:
-Oats, preferably not the prepackaged kind as they can be loaded with sugars. Add nuts, fruit, ginger, dried fruit or cinnamon to keep it from getting boring
-Whole Grains (Cereals and breads)- always check the ingredients in any packaged item and make sure it does NOT include any of the following (Sugar, Corn Syrup, Partially hydrogenated Oils, enriched flours) first ingredient should be Whole Wheat flour.
-fruit is especially great if you are working out, and don’t want a big meal beforehand. Bananas have extra potassium and iron which give extra energy.
-smoothies with frozen fruit, and juice (check to make sure it is from fruit, not from concentrate) or nondairy milk (soy, almond, rice). You can also add kale or red chard
-Eggs, but not cooked in butter or oil, use an oil spray sparingly.
Lunch:
-Salads- I put so many different beans, veggies, grains, whatever leftovers I may have lying around, to keep it exciting. Kidney. Black, garbanzo beans, are great additions. Tomatos, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots, beets, avocados, basil, quinoa. So many tasty things I don’t need dressing, maybe some balsamic vinegar and lemon.
-Whole Wheat Pita, wraps or bread- and I made the salad list so long, so that you can use the same ingredients in a sandwhich or wrap. Add Hummus for a great mayo alternative
Snacks-baby carrots, chopped broccoli/ cauliflower, whole grain crackers, or baked chips dipped in hummus or salsa.
-sliced apples, grapes, oranges, kiwis,
-dried fruit or trail mix (check for NO added sugars or sulfer dioxide) Trader Joes has great ones
-nut or almond butters on whole wheat crackers
Dinner-salads, can also try quinoa salads (cook quinoa add basil, avocado, lemon)
-beans- so many great ways to have beans. I start with sauting a little garlic and onion in water. Than add beans, with one or more of the following (chopped carrots, diced celery, broccoli, tomatoes, cumin (great seasoning in beans!) and for a little thicker, more soup like dish add brown rice or quinoa.
-steamed veggies, slice carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and add some seasoning
-baked squashes or yams.- spaghetti, acorn, butternaut squashes, just slice in half, put in about 1 inch of water in a casserole dish and bake for about 35-45 mins. Yams, put in tinfoil and bake
-whole grain pasta dishes with tomatos and added veggies
-brown or wild rice with steamed veggies, and seasonings such as Braggs
-fish on the grill, put in tinfoil with some lemon and seasoninings. Veggies on the grill, asparagus, zucchini, squash
These are all simple dishes that can be made with ingredients that should be stocked in the cabinet and fridge.
Quickie shopping list- find at Trader Joes at a competitive price!
*Snacks, Dried Fruit, Trail Mixes, Nuts
Baked Blue Tortilla Chips Whole Grain Rice Cakes
Fruit Leathers Dried Fruit
Lightly Salted or Raw Nuts and Seeds Popcorn
Whole grain Pretzels Hummus, salsas
Raw nuts
*Fruits and Veggies
spinach or red leaf lettuce yams or squashes for baking or grilling
Packs of chopped broccoli/ cauliflower and baby carrots (for dipping)
Tomatos, onions, garlic, cilantro, mushrroms, cucumbers, carrots (for salads and bean)
Bags of frozen veggies- great for stirfrys and pastas
Bags of frozen fruit- great for smoothies and to add to oatmeal
Cans of beans- black, kidney, white cannelli, garbanzo
Cans of tomatoes of pasta sauce- check the ingredients and make sure NO Partially Hydrogenated anything
*Breads, Crackers cereals
whole wheat pizza dough
box or bulk oats (check Winco)
Barbara’s cereals TJ’s Rich Golden Rounds (like Ritz)
Ezekiel Sprouted Seven Grain Bread TJ’s Woven Wheats Wafers (like Triscuits)
Whole Wheat French Bread TJ’s Brand crackers, similar to Wheat Thins
Whole Wheat Tortillas Whole Wheat Hamburger and Hotdog Buns
Sprouted Breads, Bagels, Tortillas Whole Wheat Pretzels
Some randoms- cage free eggs, milk alternative, wild free range chicken and fish
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