Eat Great & Lose Weight

Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer is sponsoring an "eating well" forum today. Some are submitting recipes. I am submitting my strong opinion about whatI think eating well means and what it can do for us.

First of all, eating well means GET OFF THE SUGAR. Secondly, GET OFF THE PROCESSED FOODS AND CARBS.... chips, white flour, white bread, pastries, etc. Third, GET OFF THE CAFFIENE. Finally, GET OFF THE ALCOHOL. You can do this gradually if you feel you can't handle the pain all at once, but I recommend getting serious and giving it all up. You will see better results faster, and you only have to go through the withdrawl once.

Ladies (and gents if you are reading, too) this is serious business. Our country is in a health crisis like no other country on Earth. If you have a belly, it is because you are eating too much sugar and processed carbs. Think about all of the young girls (14, 15, 16 years old) that you see walking around in their cropped shirts and low rider pants (which is another crisis to speak about in another posting). Do you ever notice how many of them have fat bellies? That's the Grande Mocha Latte, the sodas, the candy, the snacks rearing their ugly heads. Our children are mainstreamed into the processed and fast-food world. This goes along with their expectation of immediate gratification (which is also another crisis for another posting). And we, as parents, are setting the example. How many of you eat at least one meal a week at a fast food joint? How many sodas do you drink in a week? Contrarily, how many servings of fresh, steamed vegetables do you eat? How much water do you drink? How many days do you exercise?

Fat in our food is not the enemy (though too much of anything is not good). You don't even need to really count calories or points or any of that stuff (though, again, eating can't just be a free-for-all). What you eat affects how you feel, how you look and it also affects how quickly you age and how you will feel as you get older. We do so many things "for our children" but we don't eat like we care about anything except the food in front of us at the very moment we are eating it. I know two men in their early fifties, both with school-aged children, who died last year from heart attacks. They were both terribly overweight because they ate too much. That is sad, isn't it?

Can you tell I am on a bit of a crusade here, ladies? I have been guilty of eating not-so-well at some points in my life. Right now in the midst of getting back on what I call my "nutrition plan". You can read about that here. Or, I can summarize it for you: I eat protein + veggies or I eat veggies + a wheat-based carb like bread. I never eat protein with bread. I eat protein and veggies more than I eat anything else. I avoid almost all dairy and if I do eat dairy it's organic. I never drink cow's milk. I am a human, not a baby cow. I eat fruit only in the morning. I drink lots of water, avoid caffiene and I do not eat anything processed. This has been hard. The first couple days on this I had a headache and I felt lethargic. Then, suddenly on the third day, my energy came back, my waist started to slim down, and today....one week to the day later.... I am nearly one pant size smaller. My "treat" at night is a decaf cup of coffee or tea and a handful of almonds or pistachios. I relish it. Sometimes I am hungry, but you're supposed to be hungry before you eat. As the weeks progress I will allow myself one "free day" and perhaps an Oero cookie now and then.

Here are a couple reading suggestions.

Suzanne Somers (don't laugh. This is a smart lady. OK...the thigh master is a little funny but she knows what she is talking about when it comes to eating right)

Dr. Perricone Eating as it relates to aging.

It's never too early or too late to start. Educate yourself about eating as it relates to hormones, menopause, good skin....

Let me hear from you. Have you read either of these authors or others that are good? Have you experienced the benefits of eating healthier? Maybe you think I'm way off in left field. Tell me that, too. This is important!

Until next time,